


shades of gray

by thefateofivalice



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alternate Ending, Canon Divergence, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, No Incest, Other, Retelling, Slow Burn, and by no incest I REALLY MEAN IT, corrin has a personality beyond what they showed in game, focuses on the war and how it effects the relationships of the people involved, kaze and corrin are the only ones confirmed as of right now, meaning AZURA IS NOT RELATED TO CORRIN AT ALL, more relationships to come as i write it, that was a stupid idea and i'm deleting it from existence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-28
Updated: 2018-10-19
Packaged: 2019-05-26 23:20:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 55,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15011612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefateofivalice/pseuds/thefateofivalice
Summary: "So, little princess, will you be choosing Hoshido or Nohr?"As if there were ever a choice."Nohr."A fix-it fic that eliminates every problem I had with Fire Emblem: Fates. Mainly: Sexism, child armies, and incest. This will span over ALL of the games, meaning Birthright, Conquest, and Revelations. This won't be just like rereading the entire game - I intend to add more scenes, rewrite entire chapters, and destroy every piece of ass-out armor in this game.





	1. The Northern Fortress

1

“Corrin.”

She snapped to attention. For a brief moment, she had let her thoughts wander. The middle princess of Nohr was known for daydreaming at the worst of times; and this was definitely one of those times.

“Are you nervous, little princess?” Xander asked. He looked at her with curiosity in his gaze, and not without a hint of worry. It was subtle; Xander was known for being able to conceal his emotions to even the most perceptive eye. Corrin had simply had the pleasure of being around him enough to where she could decipher only some of the thoughts that spiraled through his head.

She tore her gaze away from her older brother, instead choosing to look out toward the darkened horizon. It was midday in Nohr, yet there was no light in the sky. Corrin had been told of places where the sun shines through the clouds and warms the earth. Their skies were a light blue, not a muddy grey. She wanted to visit those places someday, to feel that warmth for herself.

But unless she beat Xander today, she would never have the chance.

“A bit,” she admitted, still focused on the dark sky. “But I’ve been practicing.”

She swallowed down a large lump in her throat. She _had_ trained for this day, as much as she had been allowed. She’d gone up against Camilla’s axe and Leo’s dark magic. She’d begged them to hit her harder, to make her work for victory. Each time she’d worked herself until she nearly collapsed, but she had never given up. She had never wanted to.

Her eldest sister was known for her ferocity in battle. Corrin had heard stories from the maids around the castle; _Camilla took out an entire squadron of Hoshidan soldiers by herself. They say she merely wiped the blood from her axe and grinned._

Corrin had known that her sister had a strange taste for battle. Camilla was older, and much smarter than anyone took her for. Under her armor, her eldest sister had muscles in her thigh that were bigger than Corrin’s head. They had trained together once or twice, and Corrin still remembered the sound of the striking dummy being shattered to pieces by Camilla’s axe.

 When they had fought each other for real, she had gone easy on Corrin. She must have, otherwise Corrin wasn’t sure she’d have any arms left. Their fight had been exhausting, but she had been better for it. She had watched how her sister held herself and knew that she had much more training to do before she could be her equal.

Leo was a different story. He’d fought her with no mercy. His legendary tome, Brynhildr, was filled with the power of the earth, and Corrin still remembered the feeling of her body being sliced by thorns.

Leo always felt that he had something to prove. He was third in line for the throne, and he took that personally. He was proud, smart – and utterly merciless. She appreciated it; she needed him to be if she were to beat Xander. Where Camilla was protective and hesitant to fight her, Leo was the opposite. He fought her with everything he had; her level of skill didn’t matter to him.  

She still remembered the feeling of knocking him off of his horse, and the sound of his armor crashing against the ground. She’d slammed her foot on his chest, causing him to grunt from the shock. Both of them were breathing heavily from the exertion, and even with her sword pointed at his throat, Leo did not yield. He still wielded his tome. He could have ended the battle in a heartbeat.

There was a lengthy silence between the two of them. The only thing that had broken it was the sound of Xander’s sabatons clanking against the ground as he approached.

Leo was proud, but he wasn’t without empathy. He had seen the fear in her eyes and understood. Without hesitation, Leo dropped Brynhildr, it’s spine hitting the ground with a light thump.

The weight of his surrender had descended upon her like a cloak. She had won. Xander had intended to stop them, to declare Leo the winner. Yet Leo had saved her from that fate.

All of the Nohrian siblings were allowed to go outside. They were allowed to fight, to travel, to do whatever they wished within reason. But Corrin, she had never had that choice. She was confined to her castle, their father never allowing her to leave.

 They hadn’t been fighting to see who the stronger sibling was; they were fighting for her freedom.

 “Corrin,” Leo had said, letting out a defeated sigh. “You have the devil’s own luck.”

He was the only one she’d beaten. Camilla had been too conditioned for war, and Xander even more so than her. Corrin had no chance of beating her eldest sibling, but she needed to try. Not trying would damn her even more.

She couldn’t keep living like this. She couldn’t keep spending her days locked away from the sun. She needed to get out, to see everything she was missing. The ache grew stronger every day, filling her chest and leaving her empty. Something needed to change.  

“Just show me what you’re capable of,” Xander said, once again snapping her out of her thoughts.

As if it were that easy. Nothing about fighting him would be easy.

“I have one request,” she said evenly. He raised an eyebrow but nodded. She’s nervous to ask, but she needs this boon. It could very well backfire and be the biggest reason why she’ll never see the sun.

Or, it could be the reason why she finally escapes her tower.

“Fight me on the ground. Without your horse,” she said. “Please.”

Xander was taller than her even without his horse. He looked down at her, his gaze hardening.

“Why?”

The tone of his voice made her nervous. She couldn’t let him intimidate her; she needed to go through with this.

“Xander, you’re already formidable _with_ your horse. I don’t stand a chance if you’re on one. Not to mention…I’m going to be giving it my all. I don’t want to hurt her.”

“You can’t tell your enemies to get off of their horse in battle, little princess,” Xander said.

Corrin shook her head. “I’m aware. But we’re not fighting to the death. You’ve seen me knock Leo off of his horse, so you know I can do it. Test me with Siegfried only.”

She watched as he closed his eyes in consideration. After a minute, he nodded.

“This is the only advantage you’ll get, sister.”

Corrin sighed in relief, feeling the tension in her chest release. This wasn’t over, not even close, but at least Xander’s horse would make it out unscathed. It was a small victory.

As they came upon the training ground, Corrin wasn’t surprised to see Camilla and Leo already there. They were the ones who had gotten her this far, in both battle and convincing Father.

Whenever Corrin spoke to her father, her words always fell upon deaf ears. He treated her differently than he treated the others. Without the help of her siblings, Corrin doubted that she would have even been able to see the training ground, let alone use it.

The only one who was missing now was Elise. It would be nice to have the comfort of her youngest sibling, but Corrin knew that she hated the battles that went on between them. Elise disliked every aspect of fighting, which is why she dedicated herself to healing their wounds. She was young still, but she was one of Nohr’s brightest healers, and the best person to seek if you needed a hug. Which, admittedly, Corrin often did.

“Good luck, Corrin!” Camilla cheered once she spotted her. “Make him work for it, sweetie.”

Leo said nothing, but he gave her a determined nod.

She wouldn’t let either of them down.

As she stood across from Xander, her focus sharpened to a point. She needed this victory; ached for it. She didn’t need to win, she just needed to convince Xander to tell Father she was ready to leave.

“I put you at a disadvantage without your horse,” she said, already getting into position. “You strike first.”

“Are you sure?” Xander asked seriously. Her heart sank. He thought this was over before it even began.

“Yes,” she replied firmly. Before she could get off another comment, Xander was on her.

There was a reason he was the heir to the throne. Xander had been conditioned for it; bred to be adaptable and fierce. She quickly realized that he used his horse for defensive reasons, not offensive ones. He didn’t need it to win a battle.

The only thing that tipped her off to his feint was the glow of Siegfried. She blocked the blow with her sword, feeling the clash reverberate up her arm. She had to grit her teeth to stop herself from crying out.

_He was so much stronger than she thought._

That said something. She was already under the impression that Xander was the strongest royal, save their father. The fact that one blow had her arm quivering sent a whole new burst of adrenaline through her.

Corrin struck back. She couldn’t stay on defense forever; her job was to impress him, not hold him back. She had no advantage against him. Her blade was made of steel, and his was legendary. He wore the armor of a noble, and she wore leathers. He had been training since birth, and Corrin only since this year.

But she wasn’t going to give up. Not as long as she still stood.

Corrin fought dirty. It was all she could do; they had been fighting for mere minutes, and she was already breathing hard. Xander hadn’t even broken a sweat.

“Don’t give up!” a voice cheered from the sidelines. Without looking, Corrin knew it was Elise. She hadn’t seen her little sister enter. It was for the best; she couldn’t get distracted.

She noticed the exact second Xander’s defense faltered. He hadn’t heard Elise enter either, and though he never took his eyes off of Corrin, his sword arm fell, if only a little.

Corrin took her chance. She lunged at him, striking at his weak spot. The hit landed, and he let out a grunt, but it wasn’t long before he regained himself and used Siegfried’s magical properties in retaliation. He’d only used the magic to push her backward, the red aura stinging her flesh as it knocked her away. She wasn’t sure whether she was happy he didn’t put everything he had into that strike or not.

But she wasn’t done yet. She ran toward him again, sword raised high when –

“I yield.”

She stopped. The world seemed to slow around her as she took in what he said.

“What?” she asked breathlessly.

He looked at her patiently. “I yield, Corrin. You struck me.”

She blinked. “I did?”

A smile grew on his lips. He sheathed his weapon before removing a glove from his hand. He placed it where Corrin had struck through his armor, then pulled back to show a small amount of blood on his fingers.

She had done it. She had landed a strike on the crown prince of Nohr. Her brother. The strongest person she knew.

She was _ecstatic_.

“You did it!” Camilla laughed. Both of her sisters were running toward her, and before she knew it, both she and Elise were being wrapped up in Camilla’s strong embrace. Corrin wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh, cry, or both. She settled on both as she clung to her eldest sister, sniffling into her shoulder.

“Oh, there’s no reason to cry, dear,” Camilla crooned. She ran her hand through Corrin’s hair, which immediately calmed her. There were too many nights when Corrin had woken up with nightmares, only to be calmed when Camilla sat on her bed and braided her hair.

“We’re so proud of you,” Elise squealed. “Now you’ll be able to go to the market with us! We can buy so many things together – ooh! We can even bring you to the main castle! I can finally teach you how to cook!”

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Leo asked. Elise let go of Camilla, looking at her brother with wide eyes. He pointed to Xander, who was looking on at them with an amused look. He was, however, still bleeding.

Elise gasped. “Right! I’m sorry! I have my staff right here!”

She rushed off to help Xander, and Camilla caught Corrin’s attention again.

“It’s getting late tonight, dear,” she said. “We won’t make it to the castle before the thugs come out. We’ll have to set out tomorrow. Is that okay with you? I know you must be bursting at the seams to get out of here.”

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Corrin said. To be entirely honest, she was so exhilarated that she was willing to make the trip to Castle Krakenburg that night, but she knew it wouldn’t be wise. She needed to tell Felicia and Jakob what had happened first, then she needed to pack.

Her life was about to change. She looked over at Xander, and she saw pride in his eyes.

She didn’t count the battle as a win. She had only nicked him, and she knew it, but it wasn’t a loss. One day she would fight him, and she wouldn’t stop until one or both of them were on the ground.

“How about Elise and I meet you in your bedchambers tonight to help you pack? We can make a night out of it. Let’s make your last night here a memorable one,” Camilla said.

Elise looked over, suddenly forgetting that she was in the middle of healing. “Ooh, that sounds like fun! I just got some new nail polish that we can use, and some face masks…”

Corrin let out a laugh – her first one today. It felt so good to be free.

“Thank you, everybody. I couldn’t have done it without your support,” she said earnestly.

“Oh, our little Corrin has grown up so fast,” Camilla crowed. “I’m almost sad that she’s flying from the nest.”

“She’ll be fine,” Leo said. “Not many people can land a hit on Xander.”

Corrin smiled, content to just listen to them banter. Soon, Camilla and Elise were dragging her out of the training arena, but she stopped them.

“Give me one moment to say something to the boys, okay?” she asked. She turned on her heel and jogged over to Xander. Without hesitating, she threw her arms around her brother, giving him a long hug.

“Thank you,” she said as she released him. “But one day, I’ll be sure to really give you a fight you can look forward to.”

Xander smiled and nodded. “I’ll be waiting.”

She turned to Leo, finding his expression sour. That wasn’t entirely out of the ordinary – she was beginning to think that the only time he was truly happy was when his nose was stuffed in a book. However, her smile didn’t fade even as he scowled.

“Thank you too, Leo. For supporting me.”

He waved his hand dismissively. “I didn’t do anything.”

Corrin shook her head, but she doesn’t argue. She was in too good of a mood for it.

“I’ll leave you two alone, then. But Leo…” she said, moving in closer to whisper in his ear. “Your collar is inside out.”

When she pulled away, she found his face as bright as a tomato. “I didn’t want to embarrass you in front of everyone, but you should probably fix it.”

Leo cleared his throat, finding everything else more interesting to look at than her. “Thank you, sister.”

Corrin headed off back toward Camilla and Elise, smiling the whole way. As she walked, she found herself looking back up at the dark sky. Nothing had changed about it, but she felt like everything in her life had changed. Maybe one day she could come to miss this sky. For now, she was eager to leave it all behind.


	2. Kaze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leaving the Northern Fortress is a great chance to learn about Dragon Veins.

2

The route to Castle Krakenburg was longer than she thought it would be.

Corrin’s life had always been confined to the Northern Fortress. Traveling was so much more exciting than her siblings made it out to be. Because of this, she had refused to ride in a carriage, insisting she ride with Camilla on her wyvern. Her eldest sister had happily agreed, with the only condition that she hold on as tight as she could.

It was exhilarating. Nohr was a place of darkness, but it wasn’t unpretty. Trees were without leaves, but they had their own elegance. There were swamps and cliffs – things she’d never gotten to see before. She almost felt bad for making Leo, Elise and Xander continue on the road while she flew, but the more wind blew through her hair, the less she thought about it.

“Do you feel that, Corrin?” Camilla asked, looking over a forest. Her sister had tied her violet hair up in a tight ponytail, leaving it to fly in the wind. Corrin had wished she’d done the same, as she felt like she spent more time pushing her dark tresses out of the way than paying attention to the view. She could only imagine what she would look like when they landed.

She squinted at the place Camilla mentioned, then shook her head. “No, not really.”

Camilla glanced over at where the rest of their group walked along, then pointed her wyvern in their direction. Soon the two of them were directly overhead, and Camilla called out to them.

“I’m going to teach Corrin about Dragon Veins. We’ll catch up.”

“Camilla, the woods are dangerous. At least wait for us—”

“Hush, dear,” Camilla said, cutting Leo off with a wave of her hand. “Trust me, if anyone tries to lay a finger on Corrin, they won’t make it out alive. Besides, it’s better she knows about them now before she speaks to father.”

Without giving them a chance to reply, Camilla grabs the reins and shoots back off into the sky. Their trip isn’t long, and soon they’re plummeting towards the trees. Corrin squeezed her eyes shut, worried that the wyvern was too big to fit through the gaps. When she opened them again, they were on the ground, and neither of them were harmed.

“What about now, dear?” Camilla asked. She swings her leg around and hopped off of her wyvern, then held her hand out for Corrin to grab. She took it gratefully and pulled herself off, giving her sister a bright smile.

Corrin had always thought her sister was beautiful. Even with her windswept hair and lack of makeup, she still managed to look good. Her armor truly made the look, however; it was a chest plate made of wyvern scales, dyed purple to match her hair. It covered all of her chest, and even some of her neck, giving her solid protection without detracting from good looks. The rest of her outfit matched, making her look deadly, yet stunning. It looked heavy - how she could wear that and her axe while maneuvering a wyvern, Corrin would never know.

She remembered the first set of armor that had been crafted for Camilla. The poor man had been enamored with the eldest Nohrian princess, and the outfit he created truly reflected that. When she’d tried it on, Corrin remembered seeing the anger burning in her eyes. The get-up had been truly atrocious; her entire rear was hanging out, and that was to say nothing for her chest. The man had tried to convince her that the strap between her breasts was to keep them from moving, but it did nothing of the sort.

Sometimes Corrin thought about that man and wondered if he could walk yet.

“I’m not quite sure what I’m looking for,” Corrin admitted.

Camilla sized up the area in front of them. “Listen closely, dear. Do you hear it?”

Corrin strained her ears, searching for any sign of what Camilla was asking. After a moment, she understood.

“Footsteps?”

Camilla nodded. She walked forward, then stopped in the center of the clearing. She knelt down and pressed her hand into the grass. Corrin followed, worried about her lack of understanding. However, as her feet struck the ground that Camilla touched, she felt it. A surge of power rose up to greet her, filling her body with a strange sensation. It was familiar, somehow – she had felt it before, but never this strong.

“What is it?” Corrin asked, breathless.

Camilla rose from her position. She looked at Corrin for a brief moment, and Corrin was shocked to see that her eyes had changed color. A dark purple color radiated from them – was this the power of the dragon vein? Her sister raised her hand, and with a flourish, vines erupted from the ground and someone in the forest screamed.

When she was done, Camilla looked back and smiled. “Let’s go see what we caught.”

“How did you do that?” Corrin asked, looking at her sister in awe. She followed after her, wondering how she had never noticed that power before. As she walked, she felt it under her feet, and each step provided a new feeling. Was this how Camilla always felt?

“Dragon Veins are a part of our heritage,” Camilla explained. As she walked, vines moved away from them, and the purple in her eyes glowed brighter. “Everyone with royal blood can use them.”

“Why haven’t you told me about them before?” Corrin asked. She wasn’t hurt by the revelation, just confused. Then again, she supposed it made sense – how many dragon veins could there be in the Northern Fortress?

Camilla’s gaze softened, and the power dulled from her eyes. “Father didn’t want you leaving the fortress. He told us not to give you any reason to. I’m sorry, dear.”

Corrin shook her head. “I’m not upset. I could never be mad at you, Camilla.”

Camilla smiled. Before she could reply, an angry shout caught their attention.

“Nohrian brute!” a woman screeched. The tone of her voice made Corrin shiver – never had she heard someone so angry. Father had been mad – in fact, she was starting to suspect that was his only emotion – but this was wrath. Fiery, burning wrath.

“Oh, is that any way to talk to a stranger?” Camilla asked silkily. She was angry as well; Corrin sensed her cool displeasure. Her sister held up her hand, and more vines began to wrap around the woman, causing her to cry out in pain.

This woman was nothing like she’d ever seen before. Her skin was dark, and her hair white. She wore some type of mask over the top of her head, which had red hair sprouting from it. Her face, contorted with wrath, had some sort of tribal markings on it.

And the way she referred to them. Nohrian brute. Did that mean she was Hoshidan? What was a Hoshidan doing so far into their territory?

“Corrin, dear, I think it’s your turn to try accessing the Dragon Vein,” Camilla purred. “It isn’t hard. Try searching for the source of power. When you do, try using it to quiet our guest.”

“Corrin?” the woman spat. “You’re Corrin?”

“Quiet!” Camilla shouted, pointing a finger at the captive. Thorns grew in dangerously close to the woman’s face, piercing her skin. Corrin watched, horrified, as blood began streaming down her cheek.

“You will not say Corrin’s name. I can do much worse than that if you dare speak out again.”

The woman bore her teeth and growled but did not say anything.

“Camilla,” Corrin whispered, trying to gain her attention before she acted again. Her sister looks back, and her eyes immediately soften as they see her disdain.

This violence, it seemed so unnecessary. This woman hadn’t done anything wrong besides be at the wrong place at the wrong time. The fact that she knew her name set Corrin on edge, but that wasn’t a sin. She was kept from the outside; the outside was not always kept from her.

“I’m sorry, dear,” Camilla said. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.” She took a step forward and put a reassuring hand on Corrin’s shoulder. She looked up at her sister, and there was sincerity in her gaze.

“Let’s try something else, then,” Camilla continued. “Try healing her wounds. That is another thing dragon veins can accomplish.”

Corrin nodded. That, at the very least, seemed doable. She stepped around Camilla and faced the woman, an apology written on her face. She tried to convey it without words, but the woman wanted nothing to do with her. She didn’t even look her in the eye. She figured that this was for the best – if she wasn’t fighting back, there was be no reason for Camilla to be upset.

Corrin decided to mimic what she had seen Camilla do earlier. She kneeled to the ground, pressing her palm into the dirt. The dragon vein was there; she could sense its power thrumming through her hands. Where Camilla had used it for destruction, Corrin reached for something different. She felt a white light growing in her chest as she gathered the power.

Nothing was happening. The power was there, but she wasn’t doing anything with it. She opened her eyes and looked back up at the woman, wondering just how she could get the healing to her without touching her.

Corrin thought of rain. There had been times when she’d gone out on her balcony to let the rain wash over her. It was different than a bath – it was cold and demanding. It had made her ache for adventure, to feel all of the different types of weather that the world had to offer. She conjured that memory again, of cool water washing over her skin. It was refreshing, calming…

She heard rain. She heard it fall against the foliage and wet the earth around her. She looked up to see the woman’s wounds healing, and the blood being washed away. She was looking at her now, her eyes wide. Corrin couldn’t tell if the woman was stunned or furious.

“Great job, dear,” Camilla exclaimed. “You have the basics of it. We can use this power for an abundance of things. Moving rubble, creating traps…if you have enough training, they’re very easy to manipulate.”

Corrin stood up and grinned. “Thank you, Camilla! I couldn’t have done it without your help.”

Camilla fell silent. She was looking at her with furrowed brows, as if something were wrong. Corrin felt small under her gaze, and she shifted her weight to one side awkwardly.

“Is something—Camilla!”

Corrin saw the man before she heard him. She didn’t have time to think before she was sprinting toward her older sister and pushing her to the ground. Something sharp embedded itself into her shoulder, and Corrin let out a cry as she fell.

“Kaze, no!” the woman screamed from behind them.

Camilla pushed herself up, and her eyes immediately found the piece of metal that pierced Corrin’s arm.

She thought she had seen Camilla angry before, but there was nothing that could compare to the fury in her eyes when she saw the blood between her fingers. Not even Corrin’s cries could stop her from retrieving her axe and moving toward the woman.

Camilla swung her axe up with one hand and pressed it firmly against the woman’s throat.

“Either you come out now, or your friend dies,” she said, her voice colder than steel. 

“Camilla, wait, I’m not even that badly hurt—”

Camilla’s eyes landed on Corrin, and for the first time, that wrath did not go away. “No one hurts my family and gets away with it.”

Corrin’s stomach dropped out from under her. This wasn’t how her first day out of the fortress was supposed to go. It was supposed to be happy, with all of her siblings celebrating and merry.

No one needed to die on her behalf.

Footsteps making their way through the clearing caught her attention. She looked up to see the man making his way toward them. Like his companion, he was dressed in strange garb, something that was meant to silence his footsteps and make him blend into his surroundings. But unlike her, he was calm and unflinching, taking in the scenery with great detail.

If Corrin hadn’t had one of his metal contraptions stuck in her arm, she might have thought that he was handsome. He had a cloth that covered his mouth, but his eyes were kind. Worried.

“Corrin,” Camilla said, not taking her eyes off of the man. She took in a deep breath, steadying herself. “You decide what happens to him. He hurt you. I would suggest death, but I know that would make you unhappy.”

_No._ Death was out of the question. He was only trying to save his partner.

“I…” she started, hesitating. She wasn’t sure what the right choice was. All she knew was that everyone deserved to walk out of here alive.

“I think we should take them back to Castle Krakenburg,” she said finally. “We tell the others what happened and make sure they’re safe. Then we head back and reassess the situation from there.”

Finally, Camilla relaxed her jaw and lowered her weapon. She took in a deep, calming breath, and nodded.

“I think that’s a wonderful idea. Look at you, dear. All grown up.”

Corrin didn’t smile. She let out a sigh of relief, but she couldn’t find the energy to fake happiness over how things were going.

If Camilla was angry, her father would be furious. She couldn’t take these people to him. Not if she wanted them to live.

Camilla pointed her hand and used the power of the dragon vein to wrap the man up in thorns. Corrin noticed that he was bound even tighter than the woman was, and she heard his grunt of pain as they cut into his skin.

“Come. I’m going to fly you back to Elise, then get the boys to take these two back to the castle.”

“Wait, Camilla,” Corrin said, a bit too quickly. “Someone needs to stay here and watch them. What if they formulate a plan while we’re not here?”

The lie slid over her tongue like a poison. She had never tried to fool anyone before – least of all Camilla. But something told her that she needed to get Camilla out of here – that she needed to make sure these people lived to see another day.

Camilla considered the request. “Then you should take my wyvern back to the group. You need to get that wound looked at. It could be poisoned. That’s one of the nasty tricks those Hoshidans use.”

“No,” Corrin said. “I don’t know how to fly. I’d only get lost. I promise, I’ll be fine until you come back with Elise. I’ll even drink one of the vulneraries you packed.”

She couldn’t meet Camilla’s gaze. She knew her sister was worried, but there was more at stake than that.

“I don’t like leaving you here, Corrin,” Camilla said. “But you’re right. These nasty Hoshidans always have a trick up their sleeve. If you think you can handle them, dear, I trust you.”

“I do. Thank you, Camilla. Please hurry back,” she added for good measure.

Camilla was already mounting her wyvern. “The dragon vein should have one more charge left. If they start acting up, don’t be afraid to use it!”

“Of course!” she called back.

As her sister flew off, she couldn’t help but focus on something. She had said the word ‘Hoshido’ like it was a curse. The other woman had as well when referring to Nohr. Did their hatred for one another run that deep? Corrin had kept up on politics the best she could, and she knew their rivalry, but she never thought it had gotten this bad.

Then again, this was her father. Though there was no war between Nohr and Hoshido, there very well could be soon. She didn’t doubt that.

She pushed the thought away for now. She would ask Xander later – he could tell her everything she needed to know about Nohrian politics. She had something bigger to worry about.

She reached for the piece of metal in her shoulder, sucking in a deep breath. When she touched it, a fire shot up her arm, and she let out a shout of pain. Whatever it was, it had embedded itself deep inside her shoulder. She had never felt this kind of pain before. She wanted to pull back, to let Elise handle it, but she didn’t have time. _They_ didn’t have time.

Corrin pulled it out of her shoulder. She didn’t bother trying to stop her scream. Blood gushed out of the wound, and it felt like her entire arm was burning, but she couldn’t stop. It hadn’t taken Camilla long to get here – it wouldn’t take her long to get back.

“Stop,” the man said to her, worry coating his tone. “What are you doing?”

She didn’t reply. She sucked in a few more breaths to steady herself before stumbling over to him. Without thinking, she begins sawing through the thorns with the piece of metal, and hisses when it cuts through her hand. She drops it to the ground and curses. She had left all of her weapons with the caravan, and she regretted it.

“It isn’t meant to be used as a knife, milady,” he said calmly.

“I know, I just—” she cut herself off and looked to him. “I don’t have anything else. I need to get you down before my sister comes back.”

“Why are you doing this?” he asked. He isn’t hostile or worried like she’d expect a hostage to be. Just calm and curious.

She kneels down and picks up the weapon again and starts cutting. When that fails, and she gains a few more cuts, she decides it’s better to start pulling at the vines with her hands. That hurts her even more, but it’s less dangerous in the long run.

“I won’t let anyone die,” she said. “Not if I have a say in it.”

She meets his gaze, and her heart beats erratically in her chest. She isn’t sure if it’s because she’s nervous, or if the thought of talking to the first man that isn’t her sibling or Jakob has her frantic. For a moment, she can’t help but think that he looks sad. He must think that he’s already lost.

“Please,” she said, “Let me help you.”

He closed his eyes. “I have a knife on my belt. But please, tell me one thing.”

He paused, and she waited. When he finally opened his eyes, he asked, “She said your name was Corrin. Is that true?”

Corrin nodded. “Yes. Princess Corrin of Nohr. I don’t know why you would accept a hit for royalty, knowing their military prowess. It seems like a death sentence.”

He doesn’t respond. She decides that she doesn’t have time to wait around anymore and reaches through the vines. Thorns push at her skin and tear through flesh, but she doesn’t falter. She grabbed around at his waist for a long minute before pulling back, knife in hand. She beings sawing through the vines with ease now.

“Your companion,” Corrin started. “She said your name was Kaze. Tell me, Kaze. If I get both you and your partner out of here in time, will you promise not to kill me?”

Despite his hesitance, Corrin doesn’t stop working. Soon there is a gap that’s wide enough for him to slip through, and he does.

“You realize that this will only get you in trouble,” Kaze said, eyes darkened. He put out a hand out for his knife, and she placed it in his hand. She doesn’t let go of it, instead gripping it tighter.

“Yes,” she replied. “I do. But if all three of us walk out of here alive, it will have been worth it.”

They stare at each other for a long second. Every moment that ticks by is another reason that this plan could fail, and that Camilla could come crashing back into the clearing and ruin everything. But this is important. Her life lies in this man’s hand. She shouldn’t trust him, and she knows that very well, but she does. She lets go of the knife.

His expression changed. He reaches for her hand again and places it in her palm gently. He closes her fingers around the hilt, and nods.

“Neither of us will hurt you. Please, help me rescue my ally.”

Corrin nodded, and without hesitating, she turns her back to him and runs toward the woman. He is right behind her, and they both begin the process of sawing through the thorns that bind her.

It takes mere minutes before she’s out. Corrin’s heart pounds in her chest, and she strains her ears for any sign of Camilla.

“Don’t expect me to thank you, Nohrian scum,” the woman hissed. The words cut, but truly, Corrin hadn’t been expecting thanks.

Kaze wrapped his arms around the woman’s shoulders they set off into the forest. Corrin didn’t have time to wait until they were fully gone. She turned away from them and finds the last spot in the clearing where she can feel a dragon vein.

If she made it look like they escaped on their own, there wouldn’t be any problems. She pulled upon the same healing power as before. The rain washed over her, filling her with a sense of clarity. She healed the wounds on her hands but made sure that the rain didn’t touch her shoulder.

Corrin took in a deep breath and fell over onto her good shoulder, hitting the ground with a wet thump. She slowed her breathing, hoping that her acting would be up to par. She had never been knocked out before, but she assumed it was a lot like sleeping. As she waited for Camilla to return, she began to wonder what could have happened if the Hoshidans had taken their chance and had killed her. Was that their plan to begin with?

Kaze had looked like some sort of silent assassin. Yet something about it didn’t match up – they couldn’t have known that she and Camilla would go here, to this clearing. In that case, where were they headed? Had she let them escape, only to let them continue some siege against Nohr?

If they thought they would win, they must have been out of their minds. Father’s army was unparalleled compared to the Hoshidan army. She didn’t know much, but of that she was sure.

“Corrin!”

It wasn’t Camilla that let out the shout, but Elise. Corrin couldn’t look around or else she would break the illusion, but she knew Elise’s voice.

Soon hands were on her face, and she was being lifted upright. She grunted and let her head loll to the side, praying it was convincing enough.

“Is she okay?” Camilla asked, her warm voice coming from behind. She was worried, but the anger Corrin had heard earlier was still there.

The hands on her face grew warm, and Corrin let out a sigh.

“Yes,” Elise said after a brief hesitation. Her hands moved toward the wound on her shoulder, assessing the damage. Corrin couldn’t hold back a hiss, and she opened her eyes a little.

“Ow,” she groaned. She didn’t have to fake being in pain at least; her shoulder was killing her.

“Corrin,” Camilla gasped. “Can you hear me? How do you feel?”

“Yes,” Corrin replied. “Bad.”

“They did this to you,” Camilla said. “Where did they go?”

“I-I don’t know,” she said. “Elise, can you…?”

“Of course,” her sister replied, moving her hand to the wound on her shoulder. Corrin feels the warmth settle over her, and the pain quickly begins to disappear.

“Thank you,” Corrin murmured. She closed her eyes again and leaned on Camilla’s, feeling exhausted. She felt a hand begin to probe her head, and she jerked away from it. She opened her eyes again to see Elise looking at her with wide, confused eyes.

“I’m checking to see if you have a bump,” she explained.

“Oh.” She hadn’t thought of that. How could she explain not having one? “I’m not sure if I do. I just have a headache.”

“Oh! I can just focus my magic all around your head, then. No problem!”

As Elise set about healing an imaginary wound, a sour mood settled on Corrin’s shoulders. She didn’t like lying to them. It was a harsh betrayal, one that had come so soon after her freedom.

However, as the three made their way back to their brothers, Corrin couldn’t help but think of the two she’d saved and had known that she’d done the right thing.


	3. Ganglari

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something was wrong. Something was wrong. Somethingwaswrong--

3

Speaking to father was the same as it always was. _Keep your head down. Speak only when spoken to. Say nothing to agitate him._

She had never fooled herself into thinking that because she’d gained Xander’s approval that she’d immediately gain her father’s. Some part of her had wished that it’d be that easy, but that wasn’t to be.

King Garon’s face was already marred with displeasure when the five of them settled before him. His dark, soulless eyes fixed on Corrin and she felt pinned to the spot, as if she were a butterfly and he had just stabbed a knife through her wings.

“I was told that you had grown up, had gained an edge in combat,” he started. His voice had become deeper since Corrin had seen him last – darker, gravellier. “Yet here you stand, dirtied, as if you have been playing in mud. What is the meaning of this?”

“My apologies, father,” Corrin said, her head hanging low. They had come up with an excuse for this on the road – it was better that father didn’t know about her failure to eliminate the Hoshidans. Even Xander had agreed to the little white lie.

None of them wanted to see Corrin die over one mistake.

“Bandits attacked us on the road,” she explained. “Xander thought it best that I be the one to take them out. A reward for my first day out of the Northern Fortress.”

She wasn’t entirely sure how killing was a reward, but it seemed as though the lie had worked. For the most part. Father didn’t look happy, but he wasn’t entirely displeased either. She allowed herself to relax, but only a little.

“The next time you enter my throne room, girl, you will take care to clean yourself,” he growled. “At least of scum. I wouldn’t mind a little more blood to paint the walls.”

“Yes, father,” Corrin said quietly. His words unsettled her, but she made sure to keep her face neutral.

“She was wonderful, father,” Camilla piped up from behind her. “Our little Corrin has mastered the use of dragon veins during combat. Those bandits didn’t stand a chance.”

King Garon was silent, contemplating. He spent a careful amount of time assessing Corrin, and her gut twisted under his gaze. Could he sense her lies? Could he see them roll off of her tongue? She did not want to upset him; he was her father.

“Step forward, girl,” he commanded. Corrin made her way to the throne as calmly as she could.

“Your siblings tell me a number of great things about you,” he started, his eyes boring into her. “Yet they are biased. I have an idea of how to truly tell if you are ready to clash with Hoshido.”

Beating Xander was not proof enough? Despite her thoughts, she nodded.

“Anything, father.”

King Garon held out a grey, vein-filled hand and Corrin watched as a sword manifested.

The weapon permeated dark energy. From the moment she laid eyes on it, Corrin felt the energy slide over her, thick like oil. It was all she could do to resist turning her head to the side to cough.

“This is Ganglari,” Garon said. “A legendary weapon. Similar to Siegfried or Brynhildr. With this, you shall have no problems destroying the Hoshidan army.”

Corrin bowed her head and held both of her hands out to accept the weapon.

“Thank you, Father. This is very generous.”

As he placed Ganglari in her hands, the feeling became worse. The sword felt as though it were burning her, beginning at her fingertips then firing up her arms. She winced but did not drop it or pull back. She was too scared to figure out what would happen if she did.

“I am sending you on a field mission to test your strength myself. There is an abandoned fortress near the Bottomless Canyon. Reports say that it is being repurposed for Hoshidan use. You will go there to claim the fortress for Nohr.”

“What about us, Father?” Elise chirped. Hearing her voice broke Corrin out of the trance that Ganglari put her in – she’s able to ignore the darkness that it casts as she hooks the sword at her side. It’s heavy, and the weight is unfamiliar, but she does her best to ignore it.

“You will go about your own business. I am sending Gunter and Hans on this mission with her. None of you will interfere.”

Corrin felt her blood run cold. _Hans._ She remembered him. She had met him once, but it had been enough. She suppressed a shudder at the thought of facing him again.

“I won’t disappoint you, Father,” Corrin said.

And as Corrin made her way out of the throne room, she couldn’t help but hear Garon’s malicious laughter fill the halls and feel that maybe she would have been safer at the Northern Fortress.

-

The next day, Corrin found herself facing one of the worst decisions of her life.

Which butler to take with her.

Felicia and Jakob had been known for their opposing personalities; Jakob prim and proper, while Felicia broke about three plates on a good day. It would be easier if she could take both of them, but Garon had specified that she couldn’t take more than three people out on the field with her. It was a waste of resources, he had said.

“There is a better chance that you’ll fall down the cliff than help,” Jakob shot, calm despite his stinging words.

“Oh yeah?” Felicia started, rearing back for a retort. “Well you’ll be too busy kissing a—”

“Stop!” Corrin said, cutting her off. “Okay, no more fighting. I love you both, but this is too much.”

“—Butt,” Felicia finished. “I was going to say butt. I promise.”

Jakob turned away from Felicia and fixed his gaze on Corrin, ever the professional. He cleared his throat.

“Well, the choice is yours, milady. There will be no hard feelings no matter whom you chose.”

But that didn’t settle anything. Corrin had half a mind to choose Flora and be done with it, but she knew that would only stress the poor maid out too much.

“I think, given the nature of this mission, it would be wise to choose Felicia,” Corrin said after a moment of thought. She gives an uneasy smile, knowing that her decision might not be wholly accepted. However, neither of them complained, just as Jakob had said.

The truth was, if she chose Jakob, it would be the same as choosing Camilla. They doted on her in similar ways – and though Felicia would offer her very last breath to Corrin, she wouldn’t baby her, either.

Corrin knew she was being handled with kid gloves. She was twenty summers and had never seen the sky; it didn’t come as a surprise that everyone was worried about her. But she wasn’t here to sit and let others do work for her. She was here to prove herself, and that’s what she would do.

“No matter the choice, we will make it through, milady,” said a gruff voice from behind her. Corrin immediately brightened, already forgetting about her tough decision.

“Gunter!” she said happily, spinning around to greet him.

Despite knowing that she was going to be facing Hans, she had delighted in the fact that she would be going on her first mission with Gunter. He had been the one to teach her the basics of swordplay and had essentially gotten her to the point she was at now. More than that, Gunter was a friend. He was tough when teaching, but kind outside of battle. She could not have asked for a better mentor.  

“It’s good to see you again, milady. I trust you are well?”

“Of course,” she replied, grinning. “It’s nice to be out of the fortress. It’s also nice to see you again! How have you been faring?”

“As well as an old man can in these times,” Gunter said. “It is my pleasure to be serving the lady Corrin in her first mission. I am certain that you will exceed all expectations.”

“Doubtful,” came an oily voice from behind her.

Corrin froze. She had been expecting Hans, but not this soon. Frankly, she had begun to hope that he wasn’t going to show up at all. His presence was a tragedy.

She turned look at him, finding that he was still as terrible-looking as he was when they first met. He had a square face, had missing teeth and sported a bald head. When he got closer, she could smell the musk around him, sour and disgusting. She put a hand to her nose and let out a cough, mostly unwillingly, but partly to be a little dramatic.

“Hans,” Corrin said, keeping her body faced toward her friends, and more importantly, away from him. “I see you haven’t changed. You’ll be escorting us to the fort, yes?”

“Aye, I will,” he said. He leaned in close to her, and Corrin resisted the urge to step back. She could feel the stares of her friends, and how they were close to speaking out against his actions.

“And know that I won’t be as easy to impress as your siblings, girl,” he growled.

Something dark erupted in Corrin. It coated her senses and made her see red. This anger, it wasn’t familiar to her, but it was strong, and she wouldn’t resist it.

She turned to face him fully. He was taller than her, but not by much. Still, she looked down at him, her lip curling in disdain.

“You will do well to watch your tongue when you speak of Nohrian royalty,” she said. “Else I will have no choice but to cut it out.”

His eyes narrowed, and he opened his mouth to say something, but Corrin wasted no time.

“Felicia?” she asked kindly, turning her head and giving her maid a smile. Felicia returned it in kind.

“Of course!” she said, as happy as could be.

Felicia skipped around behind Hans and tapped him on the shoulder. Corrin didn’t need to be behind him to see the ice crawl up his neck and down his back. He let out a shout, along with some profanity, which Corrin promptly ignored.

“I won’t let you bully me,” she said, smiling as Felicia returned to her side. “You’ll take me to the fort without complaint, or I will hogtie you and bring you along on this mission just to tell Father that I did.”

“Little bitch,” Hans spat. “Fine! Now get me out!”

Something felt wrong about her actions; she didn’t like retaliating this way. It felt cheap somehow, bullying someone who had bullied her. Was it truly that simple to set her off? All he had done was smell badly and speak ill of her siblings.

However, the last time someone had spoken ill of Corrin, Camilla had taken her axe to them.

Standing up for herself seemed like the better option. She turned toward the exit, with her butlers and Gunter following behind. As they made their way out, Corrin leaned over to Felicia and whispered something to her.

With a snap of her fingers, Felicia released Hans, and Corrin could hear his cry from the hallway.

It might not have been her best moment, but it sure felt nice. The dark part of her grinned, and for now, she simply let it. As she walked, she felt Ganglari pulse at her side. For now, she did her best to ignore that, too.

-

The trip to the fort was a simple one, with Corrin and Felicia chatting away while Hans and Gunter lead them along. Though they tried to keep the conversation flowing, the atmosphere that Hans put them in made both of the girls uncomfortable. They could share that much with a simple look.

Corrin found herself wishing that she’d left Hans at the castle, with ice down his back and a curse on his lips. He made the trip unpleasant with his nasty attitude and constant mutterings. If it were up to her, she’d tell her father to make sure she was never put in his vicinity again.

But that…that didn’t make sense. She couldn’t speak to her father like that. What was she thinking? She rubbed her hands over her eyes, a sudden headache coming on.

Something about her had felt off since she’d gotten to the castle. She couldn’t pinpoint when it had started, but something wasn’t right. Had the Hoshidans done something to her? There wasn’t any poison that could make her angry, was there? Not to mention that Elise would have gotten rid of any toxins in her body when she healed her.

She shrugged the thoughts away for now. She had to focus on her mission. She couldn’t risk getting distracted when she was so close to the fortress.

As it came into sight, Corrin recalled what Jakob had said about Felicia possibly falling off the cliff. It was definitely unstable ground; there were two bridges that they could cross, both looking perilous. She made a mental note to be careful when crossing them. Bottomless Canyon indeed.

Father had been right; the Fort was being taken by the Hoshidans. They stuck out in this environment, their lighter garments easily painting them as the enemy.

She supposed that they could say the same about Nohr. One of them immediately noticed their group and called out.

“Stand back, Nohrian!” a soldier cried from across the bridge. “This Fortress is being held by Hoshido. It’s on our side of the border – you can’t be here.”

Father had only told her to reclaim the fort. Something told her that this didn’t need to end in bloodshed. She took a step forward and called back.

“We aren’t here looking for a fight. This is definitely Nohrian territory. The King sent us to reclaim the fort that is rightfully on our land,” Corrin said. She earned herself a sneer from Hans, but a slight nod from Gunter.

The Hoshidan frowned. “We have this land as a part of the border treaty, miss. If you come any closer, we’ll be forced to attack.”

“Well…we don’t want that—” Corrin said, turning to Gunter. Before he could reply, Hans removed his axe from his belt.

“Says who?!” he asked. With the speed of a man who weighed much less than himself, he crossed the bridge and put his axe through the chest of the Hoshidan warrior. When he was done, he turned back to face Corrin.

“We’re here to kill anyone who gets in our way, girl. We don’t negotiate with barbarians.”

Corrin stepped forward to lash back at him, but she was yanked back by Felicia. An arrow went whizzing past her head, and when she looked at where it came from, she saw the eyes of a furious Hoshidan glaring at her from the fort.

“Do not leave a single Nohrian alive!” he screamed, knocking another arrow.

“Unsheathe your weapon, Corrin!” Gunter called. “We have no choice in the matter anymore.”

She would deal with Hans later. She would make sure he felt the pain of every Hoshidan that they defeated here today.

As they fought, she kept seeing the spray of blood that came from the man’s chest upon Hans’ attack. It filled her with anger, with a sick determination to deliver punishment. She felt Ganglari burn away in her hands as she used it, and it only pushed her fury onward. It sang for blood—anyone’s blood— and it laughed at her as she felt remorse over killing them.

Something was wrong with her.

Something was wrong. Something was wrong. Somethingwaswrong—

As the last Hoshidan lay dead at her feet, Corrin snapped out of the trance. She looked down at Ganglari, and the blood that coated it and felt bile rise in her throat. She wanted to drop it, to run away, but the sword stayed in her hand.

It was a gift from father. She couldn’t abandon it.

“Hans,” she said, not taking her eyes off of Ganglari. “You disregarded my intentions and engaged them. Why?”

“I don’t take orders from you, you little bitch,” he snarled. “What are you going to do? Run home and tell Daddy? Newsflash, he’s the one who told me to do this.”

The revelation should have surprised her, but it didn’t. She’d seen how the two Hoshidans had looked at her in fear when they’d realized she was sent by the king. She’d heard how the border guard’s voice had trembled.

Her father was a warmonger, and he always had been. It was why she, Leo, Camilla, Xander all had to be the strongest. It was why she was locked away in a tower for the first twenty years of her life. All because of his thirst for blood.

“Oh, but there’s one thing he told me that I’m forgetting,” Hans continued. He looked at Gunter and grinned wickedly, his missing teeth on full view.

“Say your prayers, old man,” he said, lifting his axe over his head, rearing back to throw it. 

“NO!” Corrin roared. Her scream seemed to echo off of the walls in the canyon, shattering any sense of peace there might have been.

Corrin couldn’t see anything beyond a sickly shade of red. Her heart was pounding, and her head screaming _not Gunter, not Gunter._ He couldn’t kill Gunter. Not the only man who—

Before she knew it, she was on top of Hans. He was writhing beneath her, and her hand was covering his face. Was it her hand? It didn’t look like her hand, but it felt like it. She could feel him breathing hard against her palm, and the curve of his pointy nose.

She pressed against him, and he screamed. She felt the crunch of his bones beneath her hand, yet she wasn’t satisfied. She had never hated anybody like she hated Hans before—she didn’t think she was capable of such wrath. Was this how Camilla felt, day after day when someone upset her?

The last thing Corrin remembered was the sound of Felicia crying out and a sharp pain in her shoulder. Then everything faded away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	4. Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hoshido.

4

“Lady Corrin?”

Felicia’s voice cut through the darkness. Corrin knew that she should wake up, but she was so warm. Opening her eyes felt like a monumental task, as did leaving her covers. She easily decided against it and pulled the blanket up closer to her face.

“Come on, sleepyhead!”

Without any notice, something cold touched her cheek. It got colder and colder until she let out a screech and—

“I’m awake!” she yelled, sitting up quickly. She looked to see Felicia standing over her with her hand glowing blue and a frown. Corrin returned the look; she always hated when Felicia had to resort to freezing her to wake her up, but she supposed it was effective.

“What’s going on?” she mumbled, rubbing her hand over her cheek to rid herself of the chill. She couldn’t place her finger on it, but she knew something was wrong. She immediately figured it out; this wasn’t her room.

“Well, I’m not really sure,” Felicia admitted.

“Allow me the pleasure of answering some of your questions, your highness.”

Both of the women jumped and looked toward the door. There stood—

“Kaze?” Corrin asked. She immediately jumped to her feet. “What are you doing here? I would have thought that you went back to Hoshido by now. If Camilla finds you…”

Kaze shook his head. “That won’t be an issue, Princess Corrin.”  

“I think we’re _in_ Hoshido, my lady,” Felicia said.

“What?” she asked, shaking her head. “No, that’s not possible. We were just…”

She cut herself off as the memories came rushing back to her. They were at the border, trying to regain a fort. She remembered Hans’ betrayal, the whisperings of Ganglari clouding her judgement. It all seemed so distant, as if it had happened in a dream. She couldn’t remember how the scene had ended, but from the way she had attacked Hans, she wasn’t sure she wanted to.

She looked to Kaze, looking for one final confirmation. He gave a slight nod, and her pulse skyrocketed.

“Oh,” she said, looking down at her hands. She’s overwhelmed. She had always dreamed of traveling to Hoshido, at least once in her life. Now she was here because she had broken the law, and there was a chance they’d kill her. She’d killed Hoshidan soldiers, it was only fair. Even if it hadn’t been her choice.

Corrin looked up, her eyes catching on a glass door that lead out into a balcony. Curtains hung over it, but she could see light streaming through them. Her breath caught in her throat, and she was moving toward it before she could stop herself.

She opened the doors and light poured into the room. It hit her face, her arms, her legs. She let out a sigh as warmth touch her soul in a way that it never had before.

She looked toward the sky and reveled in the vibrant colors. Never had she seen something that bright, or clouds that looked that soft. Her heart raced in her chest, and she resisted the urge to reach out and try to grab one of the clouds. It was an irrational thought, a childish one, but she could only wonder what it would be like if she could ride on one.

“Lady Corrin?”

Felicia’s voice snapped her out of it. She turned around to see both Felicia and Kaze staring at her curiously, and she felt her face warm in embarrassment.

“I’m sorry,” she said quickly. “I’ve—I’ve never seen the sun. It’s always dark in Nohr.”

Kaze gave an understanding nod, but she was still too flustered to meet his gaze. He must think that she’s strange. A part of her felt sad at that; she didn’t want him to think she was some estranged Nohrian child. She was, but she didn’t want to be perceived that way.

“So, um,” she stammered, quick to change the subject. “I don’t suppose we’re here because of how pleased the Queen is with us. Can I ask why we’re not in chains?”

“Because you are not in trouble,” he replied simply.  

She and Felicia exchanged a look. “How are we not in trouble?”

She imagined that he might have smiled if his mouth wasn’t covered. “Please, follow me. There is someone who wishes to meet you.”

Corrin met the gaze of her maid once more, unsure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. However, she is the first to step forward and give him a nod.

She had once asked him to trust her. It was only fair to give him the same courtesy.

Kaze nodded and led them out of the room and down the corridor. Felicia took her time following after them as she inspected every detail of the place. When she was done, Corrin heard her quick footsteps on the ground as she tried to catch up.

“Lady Corrin, I think we’re in the castle.”

Corrin’s heart shot up to her throat. Being in Hoshido was crazy enough, but the castle? What could they possibly want with her? Were she and Felicia hostages? Would the Hoshidans use them as bartering pieces against Father?

Her mood sank the more she thought of it. They were out of luck if that was their plan. Father wouldn’t spend a dime to get her back. Her siblings may be upset, but not Father.

“Kaze,” a deep voice called. Corrin snapped out of her thoughts to see a man making his way toward them. He was a taller gentleman with brown hair that was tied behind his head. It must have been longer than hers. On his hip was a sword, though she didn’t recognize what kind. It looked as though it could only be sharp on one side, which she thought would make it rather hard to wield.

“Lord Ryoma,” Kaze said, bowing in respect. Beside her, Felicia let out a little yelp and bowed as well.

Corrin’s heart raced. Was she supposed to bow too? She was a Princess, and etiquette had taught her to bow to no one lower than her station. Though she hesitated, she eventually bowed low at the waist, her hair falling over her shoulders like a dark curtain.

The man let out a hearty laugh. “There’s no need for that. Please, rise.”

They did, and she found that he immediately locked eyes with her. Beside her, Felicia leaned in and whispered in her ear.

“Lord Ryoma is Hoshido’s eldest prince.”

Corrin felt her face warm, both from embarrassment and nervousness. She had never learned of the Hoshidan royalty. Only because her father had assumed that having them be faceless would make it easier to –

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady…?” Ryoma started, looking at her curiously.

“Corrin,” she managed. “Lady Corrin of Nohr. And this is my maid, Felicia.”

His face changed. He studied her for a minute before his face broke out into a smile.

That wasn’t the reaction she was expecting. Hoshidans hate Nohr. He had no reason to smile.

“I see,” he said. “Were you headed to the throne room, then? I may follow you, in that case.”

“Yes, my lord,” Kaze nodded.

It wasn’t long after that they found their way to the throne room. Ryoma kept up conversation well enough until they reached the end of their journey, but Corrin was far too distracted to do anything either than spit out a few one-word answers.

The Hoshidan throne room was better than the Nohrian one in every way. It was a beautiful hall, filled with marble floors and walls that were lined with silver. In the middle of the room was a single throne, though no one sat on it. In front of the throne, however, was a woman. She stood tall and elegant, with dark hair falling down her back like a waterfall. A crown sat atop her head, making her seem tall and regal. She spoke to someone with a smile on her lips, though she could see nothing beyond the man’s shaggy white hair.

“Mother,” Ryoma called.

The woman glanced over, her kind eyes landing on her son. She scanned over the rest of them, and when her eyes landed on Corrin, her smile faded.

Felicia was already bowing. Corrin was no fool – she was standing before the Queen of Hoshido. Though her father might not approve of her bowing to this woman, Corrin had no reason to not show her respect. She bowed at the waist and held that position.

“Corrin?” the Queen asked, her voice shaking. Corrin’s shoulders tensed, but she didn’t look up. Kaze must have told her who she was beforehand; the fact that she knew her name was no surprise. The way she said it, however…

“Is that you, my child?” the Queen continued. Corrin could hear her feet tap against the marble as she made her way forward. She was close enough to where Corrin could see her shoes as she bowed.

“Please, please stand,” she pleaded. Corrin did, albeit slowly.

The Queen of Hoshido was crying. She was looking up at Corrin with her hand covering her mouth and tears streaming from her eyes.

Corrin had absolutely no idea what was happening.

“Have we met?” she asked, not tearing her eyes from the Queen. It must be considered rude to glance around for help when in the presence of royalty. The relations between Hoshido and Nohr were already terrible – she didn’t need to make it any worse.

The Queen continued to look at her, unfazed. She wiped the tears from her eyes and took a steadying breath, but otherwise did not move.

“Of course you would not remember,” the Queen said calmly. “Corrin, you are my daughter.”

The words didn’t register. She stared blankly at the Queen of Hoshido, not knowing what to say.

She didn’t say anything. She laughed.

It was an awkward laugh, one that said she was more uncomfortable than she looked. She finally glanced over at Felicia for help, but the maid only stared at her with wide, worried eyes. Corrin didn’t know how to voice what she was thinking without sounding rude, so—

“So…you and King Garon…?” she asked. She played with her hair nervously, really not knowing how to take any of this. She had never known she’d had a mother. She’d assumed that she had been the love child of King Garon and a concubine. That would make the most sense. She couldn’t imagine her father ever looking at a Hoshidan woman without the intent to murder her.

Kaze coughed from behind her, and Queen Mikoto quickly shook her head.

“No. Excuse my haste, dear. Corrin, you are mine and King Sumeragi’s child.”

Corrin shook her head. “That can’t be right,” she said. “King Garon is my father. All of my siblings are in Nohr.”

Yet even as she said it, her mind raced. Did she truly look like any of her siblings? Did she even look like her father? She had always chalked up the differences due to the fact that every sibling had a different mother, but…

Garon had always treated her differently. He hadn’t kept any of them in a tower, hidden away from the world. Was this why?  

Had she been stuck in a tower for twenty years because he was keeping her hidden from Hoshido?

 “That can’t be true,” she said, not even believing herself. She wanted to deny it, but too many things were adding up. All she could see when she blinked was her family back in Nohr. Something wasn’t right. _Something wasn’t right._

Suddenly, the man that had been speaking to the Queen earlier stepped forward. Corrin had forgotten about him entirely, but now—

Now she couldn’t deny it. Her mind raced to find another reason, _any other reason_ as to why this man had the same face as her.

“This isn’t a trick,” he said softly. “You’ve been missing for eighteen years. We had heard nothing of you, but we never gave up hope that you were alive. You’re Hoshidan royalty, Corrin. Not Nohrian.”

“Stop,” she gasped, turning away from them. She blinked back tears as she thought of her siblings. Camilla, Xander- had they known? Had they known all this time that she wasn’t related to them?

She whirled around and faced Felicia. Her intent was to be angry, but when she saw that her maid was just as distraught as she was, she could find no anger. Tears rolled down her cheeks as they stared at each other, searching for answers that weren’t there.

“Did you know?” she asked, her voice cracking. “Did all of you know?”

“Oh, honey,” Felicia cried, running forward and throwing herself into Corrin’s arms. Soon the two of them were holding on to one another and crying, and Corrin couldn’t stop herself. She didn’t care if they had an audience. All she could think of was her siblings back in Nohr, lying to her all of her life.

“I request that we give the lady Corrin and her maid a moment of peace,” Kaze said behind her. She almost didn’t hear it over her cries, but his voice came out firm.

“A sound idea,” she heard Ryoma reply.

“Wait,” she choked out. She pulled away from Felicia and sucked in a few deep breaths. Composing herself was harder than it should have been, but when she was able to talk again, she turned back to them.

“I’m fine,” she lied. “Thank you for your consideration, but it’s unneeded,” she said, her voice still unsteady. All she could think about was finding her room again so that she could crawl under the covers and never come out, but that didn’t seem right. This wasn’t her home, and she had no place here. For now, all she could do was calm down and face her problems. Xander wouldn’t be crying over this; she couldn’t either.

“I suppose we should take this time to introduce ourselves properly,” Corrin said. “You all know my name, but I shamefully admit that I do not know any of yours.”

The Queen nodded and stepped forward, placing her hand on Ryoma’s arm.

“You’re right. My apologies for my dreadful manners, Corrin. I am Mikoto, Queen of Hoshido. Right here is my eldest son, Ryoma.”

Ryoma nodded once, never taking his eyes off of her. “It’s an honor to finally see you again, my sister.”

Mikoto turned to the white-haired man. “This is Kamui. My third son, and your twin.”

Kamui leveled his gaze. Out of the three of them, he looked especially distraught over the situation. Mikoto still seemed to joyful over the reunion, and Ryoma mirrored her in a more solemn way. Kamui only looked upset.

“I apologize for such a hectic first meeting,” he said. “I can’t imagine this gives you a great first impression of Hoshido.”

“No apology is needed,” Corrin said, rubbing her arm absentmindedly. She hated how her voice was rough from her tears. “I suppose the truth needed to come out.”

“We have three more siblings that will be eager to meet you,” Kamui started. “But they will all understand if you need to take time for yourself.”

Corrin couldn’t process anything. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to meet the rest of the Hoshidan royalty, it was that she couldn’t find the energy to. Suddenly the room she was in seemed too bright to stand in, and despite it being so large, the walls felt as though they could crush her.

“I do,” she said pathetically. “I’m sorry, I just-“

“Don’t apologize,” Ryoma cut in. “We’ve waited years to meet you again. We can wait one day more.”

His words were supposed to be reassuring, but they weren’t. Her heart constricted, and for a moment she thought she’d start crying again. Luckily, she didn’t have the chance, because before she knew it, she was being escorted out of the room by Kaze. As she walked, Felicia slipped her hand into Corrin’s, and though it didn’t make her feel entirely better, it helped. She squeezed her hand and kept walking. For now, it was all she could do.

-

“Perhaps we should have waited,” Kamui said, watching his sister leave. If it were his choice, he wouldn’t have told her at all. Not until she had met them all and come to some sort of conclusion herself.

He knew that if it were him, he would have wanted that courtesy.

“It seems a cruel fate to tell a woman that her entire life has been a lie,” he continued absentmindedly.

Mikoto put a hand on his shoulder. “We cannot build the foundation of a relationship on a farce. We made the right choice, Kamui. All we can do now is give her time.”

As he continued to watch, he could only wonder if they had time to give.

-

“I had no idea something like this would happen,” Felicia said later on. Once Kaze had left them, both women had climbed onto Corrin’s bed, and Felicia had set about braiding Corrin’s hair. It calmed her down immediately, as it reminded her of home. If she closed her eyes, she could imagine that this room was actually her room at the Northern Fortress. Jakob would be out preparing tea by now, and Felicia would be bickering with her sister. Camilla and Elise would come in and tell her that everything would be alright.

It’s strange. She didn’t want to go back to the fortress, but she ached for a sense of familiarity. Hoshido seemed too bright, too perfect. She hadn’t even been there a full day, but that was the impression she got. It was the exact opposite of Nohr.

She had spent years in Nohr praying that she would be let out, but now that she was gone, all she could think of was going back. It was a cruel irony.

“I don’t doubt that,” Corrin said with a humorless laugh. “How could anyone have known? I didn’t mean to accuse you in front of everyone, Felicia. I was just…scared.”

“Oh, I can imagine. If I were you, I wouldn’t know what to think either. I thought they were lying,” she admitted. “But then I saw the boy…and it doesn’t seem like they’d have any reason to lie.”

Corrin stared down at the carpet. “I think…I think I always knew something was wrong. He never treated me the same as everyone else. King Garon, I mean. It just never made sense. Why did he choose to sequester _me_? Why was I the only one whose mother was never mentioned? Why wasn’t I being trained for war like everyone else?”

_Why was I treated and whipped like a dog when he only ever sang Xander’s praises?_

Felicia grew quiet. She worked through Corrin’s hair slowly, as if drawing it out. “What do you think we’re gonna do now?”

Corrin shut her eyes. “I don’t know yet. I’m too nervous to even think. I can’t imagine Father cares that much about me to send out a search party. But if he finds out we’re here, there’s a chance he’ll retaliate. He’s been aching for a reason to start a war against Hoshido for years. All I know is that we can’t stay here forever, but I’m not keen on the idea of going back just yet.”

“I understand,” Felicia admitted. “No matter what happens, Lady Corrin, I’m going to stay with you. Okay?”

“I appreciate it. More than I can say.”

A knock on the door startled both of them, and Felicia was on her feet to answer it in a moment. Corrin sat up and peered around to see who it was.

Kaze stood there, carrying two bowls of soup. She didn’t know when he was appointed as her personal guard—there seemed like many other things that he could be doing—but she appreciated the familiar face.

Then she noticed that she was looking at his _whole_ face this time, and not just the mask that covered his mouth. In fact, his entire outfit was much more relaxed. He wasn’t trying to be hidden, and it definitely showed.

She was right at her first assumption; Kaze was a very handsome man. He was the type of attractive that she had read about in her novels. Someone who drew the gaze of people from across the room and made it so you couldn’t stop staring. There was one thing she could say for sure; he had a very nice mouth.

“Oh, I’ll take those from you,” Felicia said. Corrin was immediately on her feet and grabbing her own bowl from him. Despite the shock that she had gone through today, she was famished, and she didn’t want to risk Felicia dropping her bowl on the ground. Her maid was notorious for it.

“Thank you,” she said softly. “I forgot to ask about food.”

Kaze nodded. “Of course, milady. I was told to offer an invitation to dinner tonight as well if you thought you were ready. They sent me with soup in case you said no.”

“That’s…very kind of them,” she said. “Please, send my thanks.”

“Of course.”

She waited for a moment, then realized he was waiting to be dismissed. She was surprised- she didn’t think she had that kind of power here.

“Oh, I’m sorry. You may leave, if you have other arrangements. But, um…I’d like to ask you some questions about Hoshido, if you have the time.”

“Anything for you, milady.”

She knew that he was saying it to be courteous, but she couldn’t deny that her heart flipped a little in her chest. She was right before; he was one of the first men that she had met beyond the Northern Fortress, and beyond that, he was very pretty. She didn’t think it was anything more.

She thanked him as she moved back to her seat on the bed. Both he and Felicia found spots in the room to sit with ease, and soon they were chattering away.

“Would you mind telling me of the other Hoshidan royals?” she asked him. It didn’t feel right to call them her siblings yet. She still considered the Nohrian royalty her family. It felt like she was betraying them.

Kaze nodded. “Today you met Lord Ryoma and Lord Kamui. They are the eldest and the third respectively. The only brother you have yet to meet is Lord Takumi. He is known to have a bit of a temper, but he is kind to those who can see through it. He wields the Fujin Yumi, a bow of legend.”

Corrin is reminded of Leo. He had a sharp tongue and a legendary weapon. They would either get along swimmingly or hate each other’s guts.

“The second eldest sibling is Lady Hinoka. She is one of Hoshido’s best Pegasus Knights, and is deadly with a naginata – a Hoshidan spear. In particular, you and she were very good friends.”

A relationship she had forgotten about entirely. The name Hinoka rang empty in her chest. There were no memories of her.

“Finally, there is Lady Sakura. She is the youngest of the Hoshidan royalty and works as a Shrine Maiden. She can be very shy, yet very kind. I do believe the two of you will get along, if you don’t mind me saying.”

“I do not. Mind you saying, that is. Despite popular belief, I am…excited to meet them, I think. But this has been a lot. I hope they understand.”

Kaze nodded once. “No one is hurt by your need to rest, milady, I assure you.”

It _was_ reassuring to know that no one was upset. It had been a minor worry, but it was there nonetheless.

“I don’t mean to take up much more of your time, but I do have one or two more questions.”

“Go ahead,” he said kindly.

“That weapon you held back in the woods. The one you--…that I used to cut you down from the thorns. What was that? It was no ordinary blade.”

Corrin had been thinking of that piece of metal since she had torn it from her arm. It had been some type of throwing star, but they had nothing like that in Nohr.

He noticed how she avoided mentioning her injury. His gaze had flicked to Felicia as she spoke, but her maid seemed too invested in her soup to care. It was her way of giving them privacy without actually leaving Corrin’s side.

“It was a _shuriken_ ,” he said. “A Hoshidan weapon typically used by ninja. We excel in stealth, which is what they are good for. They are easily hidden, and if used properly, can deal a number of different injuries.”

She nodded, taking in the information with ease. It was interesting to learn the differences between the two nations. Stealth units were simply called assassins in Nohr, and they used daggers. Her Father had burnt any book on Hoshido in a fit of rage, so there was simply nothing she could have learned from her personal library. Though it wasn’t her fault, she still worried about seeming ignorant.

“That reminds me,” she started, setting her bowl of soup aside. Even her soup was strange, now that she thought of it. She had no idea what the floating white cubes in it were, but that was a question for another time.

“Where is Ganglari?” she asked.

Kaze’s face had no outward reaction. She didn’t know why she was searching for one.

“Your sword, milady? My apologies, we had it stored away. It harbored some dark energy, and we were interested in investigating it. Hoshido specializes in purifying dark energy, you see. Perhaps we should have asked, but considering the events at the Bottomless Canyon, Lord Ryoma didn’t feel like we had a choice.”

Felicia sat up, suddenly tuning in to the conversation. Corrin felt strange all of a sudden-- remembering her mission at the canyon made her skin crawl.

She was glad they had taken Ganglari. It had made her feel different, somehow; angrier. She didn’t like feeling that way. But there was something else that mattered more than her sword, a question that she was scared to ask.

“Kaze, do you know what happened to the rest of my traveling party?” she asked quietly.

Once again, Kaze’s face was unnervingly calm. He nodded once, never taking his eyes off of her.

“We found one body. I’ll spare you the details, my lady. According to the reports, he was the one who started the attacks against us. He did not survive.”

_Hans was dead?_

The realization shocked her. It all came flooding back; the way Hans threw himself at Gunter, and how Corrin had intercepted the blow. She remembered the feeling of his bones crunching under her palm.

Had _she_ killed him? She couldn’t remember. The look on Kaze’s face told her nothing about how he died. If she had done it, he didn’t look afraid or accusing.

“And the other?” she asked, her voice thick with apprehension. “He was an elder gentleman on a horse.”

Kaze shook his head. “We only found one Nohrian body. I’m sorry, milady.”

Hans was dead and Gunter was missing. She didn’t know how she should take that information. With the day she’d had, she felt inclined to fall asleep and never wake up. Losing Hans wasn’t a big loss to her, but it would be to Father.

She looked over to Felicia, who was staring at her worriedly. Corrin managed a smile, but there wasn’t a lot of happiness behind it.

“Thank you, Kaze,” she said, not looking over at him. “You’ve been a big help. I…I’m going to request that I be left alone now, however. I’m very tired.”

“Of course,” he said, swiftly hopping to his feet.

“Do you wish for me to leave as well, Lady Corrin?” Felicia asked. “I can help you run a bath, or…”

Corrin shook her head. “Not tonight, Felicia, thank you. I just wish to rest. You can stay if there are no other rooms available, but I would prefer to be alone.”

“That will not be an issue, my lady,” Kaze said.

“Okay,” Felicia said, not even trying to hide her worry. “I won’t be far if you need me. Good night, Lady Corrin.”

“Good night,” she replied. She waited until she heard the door click behind them before falling back on her bed, pulling up the covers and closing her eyes.

She had so much to think about, but for now, she’d simply rather forget.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Join in our prayer, in our song, of birthrights and love...  
> -  
> Thanks so much for all of your kind comments! I love reading them. I hope having f!Corrin AND M!Corrin isn't too weird -- I really liked the idea! Let me know your thoughts!


	5. Lady of the Lake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Azura falls into a lake.

5

Despite Corrin’s last few days being some of the worst she’d experienced, her dreams were not plagued with nightmares. Instead, they were filled with song. It was light and melodic, filling her with a sense of security she hadn’t thought possible, being in a foreign land with no one to guide her.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she let out a contented sigh. The song in her dreams had made it so that she felt well rested and better than she had in months. She sat up and let out a yawn, trying to pull at the edges of her memory to remember the dream that had left her feeling so content. However, after a few moments, she realized that the song hadn’t stopped. She was certainly awake, but the melody had not faded.

She pushed her blanket off and swung her legs around the edge of the bed. She knew very well that roaming the castle so late at night was not a good idea, but something told her that she needed to search for the source of the song. It was hard finding something that made her feel at peace and resisting the urge to chase after it felt wrong.

Corrin walked through the halls of the Hoshidan castle, not knowing where she was going and not knowing how she would get back. Despite that, she was content. There was a certain measure of calm that came with the realization that even Hoshido fell into darkness after the sun set. Though Nohr was always plunged into darkness, Hoshido had it’s time as well. It made her feel that perhaps she wasn’t as far away from her old life as she thought.

She found the source of the song outside in the gardens. Amidst the flowers was the beginning of a lake, and in the middle of it stood a woman.

She was the prettiest woman Corrin had ever seen. She stood tall, her feet barely caressing the water despite the fact that she should have been submerged. Her head was tipped back, pointed toward the full moon that illuminated her. She stood frozen in a dance, with trails of water escaping from her fingertips as she twirled around the pond. Her light blue hair fell down to her ankles, but it moved as though she had control over it—never once touching the water or obscuring too much of her view. The white of her dress conjured up images of the moon, chasing away darkness in the night.

Her voice was even more lovely up close. It felt familiar somehow, beyond what she had just heard in her dream. Corrin closed her eyes and simply listened, not wanting to break the scene in front of her.

But soon the woman stopped, her arms falling to her side, and dance coming to a halt. She was facing away from Corrin, and she wondered if the woman had even noticed her presence at all. Corrin couldn’t just leave without saying something. When words failed her, she instead stepped forward and began to clap.

“Oh!” the woman jumped. She spun around, and as soon as she laid eyes on Corrin, the magic around her seemed to fade, and she fell into the lake.

“Oh, Naga!” Corrin gasped. She shot forward toward the lake and waded in as far as her waist before the woman surfaced. She only watched as she took in a big breath and began swimming toward the edge.

“I’m so sorry,” Corrin started as soon as she was close enough. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I just heard your song from my room and I had to see who was singing, and I didn’t want to be weird and just leave after I watched—”

The woman shook her head, a smile forming on her lips. Corrin’s heart jumped at the sight; this person was _gorgeous._

“No, please. I hadn’t realized I had gotten that loud. Allow me to apologize, Lady…?”

“Corrin,” she said with a goofy smile. She held out her hand to help lead the woman out of the water. “And you are?”

“Azura,” she replied. She smiled and took Corrin’s hand, and together they made their way out of the water.

“Azura,” Corrin repeated. “Your voice is beautiful, Azura. I only wish that it hadn’t landed you soaking wet in front of a stranger.”

Azura chuckled. “It would not be the first time.”

“Is there anything I can do?” Corrin asked. “I don’t know the castle very well, but maybe we can find you a towel.”

“That sounds lovely. I have a change of clothing in my room.”

“Great,” Corrin said, feeling a bit silly. “I, um, I don’t have anything dry to change into either. Is…there any way we can find me a spare change of clothing as well?”  

A smile never left Azura’s lips. “Of course. We may be the same size. I have some clothing you can borrow, Princess Corrin.”

Corrin jolted at the realization. Azura knew who she was.

“Oh. Please, there is no need for formality. Just call me Corrin.”

Azura nodded. “Of course.”

Corrin was never one for awkward silences, so as they made their way out of the garden, she eased into a different question. “Tell me, Azura, what are you doing in the castle? I wouldn’t think you were a maid by looking at you, but I didn’t hear your name among the list of royalty.”

“Well,” Azura started, keeping a steady pace toward her room. She had her arms wrapped around her, and she shivered as a breeze blew through the hallway. Corrin wished she had some sort of jacket to give, but she was only in a tank top.

“I am not Hoshidan royalty, though I have been treated as such ever since I was a child.”

“And what are the circumstances of that? If I may ask,” Corrin said curiously.

Azura stopped in front of a room and pushed the door open. She stepped inside and motioned for Corrin to enter as well. She spoke as she walked, grabbing some extra clothing from a dresser before stepping behind a wall to change.

“You may. You see, I am Nohrian royalty. After you were taken by the Nohrians, Hoshido staged a plot to get you back. It failed, and they found me instead.”

Corrin’s heart nearly stopped. Anxiety filled her throat and threatened to choke her.

“What?” she asked, incredulous. She is almost glad for the wall that separates them now. Azura cannot see the look of despair on her face, and she doesn’t have to look at the woman whose life she ruined. Or, at least, changed so drastically.

Just as she thought it, Azura stepped out from behind the wall wearing a pair of white and pink pajamas with a change of bottoms for Corrin. She did not look at her in disdain, but rather, a kind of thoughtfulness that Corrin wouldn’t have expected from someone in her situation.

Then again, she was in the same position as Azura, wasn’t she? She wasn’t quite sure what was worse – forgetting everything of her childhood or remembering it only to see the faces of those she’d lost.

Corrin took the change of clothing and kept her gaze down, fixed on them. It seemed easier than looking at Azura.

“I suppose I’m not your most favorite person, then,” she said lamely.

“Only because we have just met,” Azura replied. “That would be rather strange, wouldn’t it?”

Corrin looked up at her, only to see the songstress smiling. Azura stepped around her and opened her door once more.

“Once you are finished changing, will you walk with me? I haven’t eaten in a while, and I’m famished.”

“O-of course,” Corrin stammered. She quickly changed, and Azura said to leave her wet clothing in the basket. After that, the two of them stepped out into the hallway, and Azura took the lead.

“Continuing our previous conversation…do not fret, Corrin. I do not resent you for where I have landed in life. Queen Mikoto and her children have been nothing but kind to me during my time here. I understand that you are having a much more difficult time than I am.”

Corrin shook her head. “I would understand if you _did_ resent me. Pain is no contest. We were both hurt over what happened, and I’m the reason for it. I’m truly sorry for what happened, Azura. I wouldn’t have anyone feel what I’m feeling right now. The fact that you had to put up with it since you were a child is…unforgivable.”

Azura hummed. “Thankfully, I am rather forgiving in this matter.”

She pushed forward, and they found themselves in the kitchens, which were already abandoned for the night. She reached out and grabbed a large pink fruit and tossed it Corrin’s way, which she aptly caught in her hands.

Corrin had never seen this type of fruit before. It was hairy, and it fit in one of her hands. When she glanced at Azura, the songstress had already bitten into one and was doing her best to wipe the juice from the corners of her mouth.

“We just got in a recent harvest. They’re a little tangy, but still edible.”

Corrin turned it around in her hand once, then tried to wipe away some of the fuzz. When she realized that would be an arduous task, she decided to simply bite into it. A burst of flavor spread over her tongue as she took in the fruit. She was shocked to find that it had something hard on the inside, and she looked at Azura with wide, terrified eyes.

“Oh Naga, is it rotten?” she gasped, showing her the middle of the fruit. Azura looked over in worry, but her face brightened when she saw it. She laughed, and Corrin felt herself relax again. Something about this woman was calming, despite the awkward circumstances they had found themselves in.

“No, no. It’s the pit. The seed of the peach. I forgot – since Nohr cut off trade with Hoshido, you’ve probably never had a peach.”

“Oh,” Corrin said, flushing. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Azura said, eyes bright. “Come, I’ll make us something proper. Would you mind telling me about Nohr while I cook? I’ve always been interested, but it’s a hard question to pose over here. Feel free to say no if you are uncomfortable, however.”

Corrin shook her head. “N-no, I…I think I actually want to talk about it. It would be hard to talk with anyone else, I think. Almost everyone has already chosen a specific side that they like, and they scorn the other.”

“That is true,” Azura said. She has her back to Corrin, but she’s listening intently. “Let’s start easy, then. Tell me of your siblings. In turn, I will tell you of mine.”

Corrin hadn’t realized it, but she ached to talk of her family. She missed them more than she ever thought possible. For a moment, she had no idea where to even start, but once she found her words, they were pouring out of her, and she couldn’t stop.

“I’ll start with the youngest. My sister Elise is the kindest person you’ll ever meet. She’s only sixteen, but she’s one of Nohr’s brightest healers. She’s short, and she keeps her hair in long pigtails. One day she decided that she wanted her hair to be more like our eldest sister’s and began curling it and placing purple ribbons in it. It became such an established look for her that whenever she wanted to conceal herself outside of the castle, she just put her hair up in a ponytail. No one ever recognized her.”

She missed Elise so much.

“The second youngest is my little brother, Leo. He’s very studious, and he’s mastered of the most dangerous magics I’ve ever seen. He’s got a hard exterior, but…on the inside he’s a huge softie. He strives to be the best at what he does, but it takes a toll on him. Whenever I did something to impress him, he’d always tell me how lucky I was. ‘Corrin, you have the devil’s own luck!’ he’d say.”

Where had her luck gone?

“And then there’s Camilla. Honestly, you might have heard of her already. I heard from the maids in the castle that she’s ruthless against Hoshidan soldiers. Her skill with an axe is beyond anything I’ve ever seen. She’s very tall and has long purple hair. She’s intense, but she’s kind. She has the best motherly instincts and takes care of us better than anyone else could have.”

She wished she was still at the Northern Fortress, so Camilla could calm her down, could braid her fingers through her hair.

“And finally, there’s Xander. He’s the Crown Prince of Nohr. There…there isn’t much to say about him. He’s everything that a prince should be. He’s stern and strong. He’s…he’s…”

Tears fell down her cheeks. “He’s my brother,” she hiccupped.

Azura stopped what she was doing and turned around. A flash of pity came over her features and she walked over to Corrin and cautiously took both of her hands into her own.

“That’s right, Corrin. He is your brother. He has been your brother though your entire life. Just because you have found your blood family does not stop them from being the family that raised you.”

More tears sprang to her eyes. She knew this was too much—she had only known Azura for an hour at most—but what else could she do? Here was the only other woman in the world who was in the same position she was. As much as she wanted to hold it all in, to be as strong as Xander or Camilla, she simply didn’t have the strength.

“How did you do it, Azura?” she asked between hiccups. “How did you live here for so long and not resent them?”

Azura squeezed her hands. “It wasn’t an easy burden to carry but know that I carried it. I stumbled with it and I faltered, but I never stopped. Perhaps I resented them for a time but continuing to do so would have done none of us any good. The only thing we can do in life is persevere, Corrin.”

Corrin took a deep breath, trying her best to calm herself. After several moments, she wasn’t crying anymore.

“I’m sorry,” she said with a phlegmy chuckle. “This must be so strange, comforting a woman you barely know.”

Azura shook her head. “Think nothing of it. You’re right to be upset, and maybe in a different situation it _would_ be strange. But I have been where you are now. If I’d had someone to listen to me while I cried, I would have been a lot better off.”

Corrin nodded. “I cannot even begin to express my thanks.”

“You don’t need to. You sitting here and eating an early breakfast with me is enough.”

Azura smiled, and Corrin returned it in kind.

“Come, I finished cutting up the fruit. It’s a small platter, but it should be enough.”

“More than. Thank you so much.”

They finished up the food quickly, Azura pointing out any Hoshidan-exclusive fruits and explaining what they were. After, Corrin helped her clean up the mess and they were heading back to her room before she knew it.

As they walked down the halls, Corrin realized that there had been weight lifted from her shoulders. It was funny how life worked—how one minute she could be crying her heart out, and the next she felt as light as a feather.

She didn’t know what the future held for her, but she felt that she had the strength to make it through another day. It was more than she had known when she went to sleep the first time that night.

After thanking Azura one last time, Corrin climbed into bed and swiftly fell back asleep. Just like before, she did not dream, but unlike it, the hours she dreamt were restful.

It was all she could have asked for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all of your support! This has been one of my favorite chapters to write so far. Azura is one of my favorite characters!! She's integral to this story and I hope I'm doing her justice. Thank you for all of your comments and I hope you have a great day!   
> -  
> Another thing I want to add: I'm a firm believer that with every darkness a character faces, there has to be some lightheartedness as well. Corrin's been through a lot, so the next few chapters will be some fluff (Not the romantic kind!! Soon though!) ! I'm going to get through them quick though so we get back to the main plot. It'll be a lot of character development and foreshadowing though so please look forward to it!


	6. Prophetic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Short, but important.

5.5

All throughout her childhood in *****, Azura had been forced to learn the prophecies that spelled out her death.

The song she sang now, the song that her mother had taught her, it was all of those prophecies combined into one. It foretold a wicked battle between light and dark, and the choice of one would change the fate of everyone.

Her mother had explained the story to her in excruciating detail. One day, Azura would meet a man or a woman who wielded a sword made of darkness. It would be that sword that murders the Queen of Hoshido and goes on to change the course of history.

No matter what side that person chose, Azura was to follow them. At the end of that journey, she would have expended all of her magic, her life force, and she would die.

She hated it.

Yet she did not let that hate consume her. When she was growing up, she dutifully did as she was told. She had watched ***** fall, she had seen her people die at her feet for her. Though she did not want to die, she would stop at nothing to remove the darkness that slaughtered her people. If following the one in the prophecy brought light back to *****, she would do anything.

Azura knew from the moment she laid eyes on Corrin that she was the one she needed to follow. She was the one who would decide her destiny.

Yet there was one thing that the prophecy got wrong.

Never once had it said anything about twins.

As far as she knew, Corrin and Kamui were not supposed to both exist. It was always one or the other—her mother had been sure to drill that into her head. Ever since she had been taken to Hoshido, Azura had never been able to figure it out.

The worst part of it all was that her heart ached at the thought of leaving Kamui.

She knew— _she knew—_ that she needed to follow Corrin, but how could she? Kamui had been the only one of the Hoshidan siblings to accept her, to calm her despite her fear. No matter what side Corrin chose, Azura would end up dead anyway, so what was the point? She wanted to be selfish—she wanted to choose Kamui.

Yet when she saw Corrin crying her heart out over the loss of her siblings, she knew that she had no choice. She would follow her and continue to do her duty. When she returned to her chambers that night, Azura could not help but fall onto her bed and cry.

She cried for an inevitable loss, and a life that she was not meant to live.

If only Corrin didn’t have to choose. Then, maybe she’d have a chance.

Azura clutched her pillow and cried harder.

She would never make it out of this alive.


	7. Warmth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corrin takes a trip to the hot springs.

6

 

A knock on her door woke her the next morning. Surprisingly, despite her late-night trip through the castle with Azura, Corrin felt oddly refreshed. She was out of bed in a matter of moments, ready to face any challenges the day brought her.

She even felt ready to face her siblings.

She knew that she couldn’t put it off forever, and it wasn’t like she truly wanted to. She wanted to put names to faces, and to remember those she had forgotten. Yet she couldn’t lie to herself; she was nervous. It was easy to hide in her room all day, but it was much harder to face all of her problems head on.

A princess does not hide, nor does she cower under her covers. Corrin imagined Xander telling her something like that.

“You may come in, Felicia,” Corrin called. She assumed it was her maid, as she couldn’t think of anyone else who would bother her this early in the morning. She had been promised privacy, and that promise had been held up for the most part. She didn’t count Kaze as a problem; she knew him before she came to Hoshido, however brief their meeting had been.

“It isn’t Felicia,” an unfamiliar voice returned. Corrin stopped what she was doing and faced the door. Perhaps she had been wrong. She braced herself and made her way over, opening the door in one swift movement.

Two red-headed women stood in front of her. One was taller than Corrin, while the other was shorter. They both sported short hair, though vastly different styles. The taller had a wild mess of hair, while the shorter had a sleek, uneven bob.

“Um, good morning,” Corrin said awkwardly. She knew right away that these women weren’t servants. Their clothing and stature immediately gave them away. She wasn’t expecting to see her sisters this early, but she supposed it was better this way. It didn’t give her any time to overthink.

“We’re sorry to bother you,” the taller one started. “We just…really wanted to introduce ourselves.”

“Oh, of course,” Corrin said politely. “You can come in, if you like.”

“Sure.”

The two of them stepped in, and Corrin shut the door quietly behind them. She moved over to her couch and made herself comfortable before motioning for them to sit. When they were both situated, she gave a small smile.

“I’m, um, assuming you already know who I am, but for the sake of grace I’ll introduce myself. I’m Princess Corrin of Nohr. It’s a pleasure to meet the both of you.”

“We do know you,” the eldest responded. “My name is Hinoka, and this is my sister Sakura. I understand that you don’t remember us?”

“H-Hinoka,” Sakura stammered, looking embarrassed.

Corrin shook her head. A rather blunt woman, but she didn’t mind. She preferred it that way, actually. “No, I don’t. I don’t remember anything from my time in Hoshido. I must have been too young. A few days ago, I was fully under the impression that I was King Garon’s daughter.”

Hinoka shook her head, frowning. “I’m sorry. This must all be very sudden.”

“It is,” Corrin admitted. “But I’m easing into it. You both seem very kind, and I’m sorry to disappoint you. Um…if I remember what Kaze told me, you and I used to be good friends, Hinoka?”

Hinoka nodded, a sad look in her eye. “Yes. I spent a lot of time mourning your loss. You were my best friend.”

Corrin felt some part of her wither. She wanted to remember this woman, but nothing came to mind. She clenched her fist.

“You both seem like nice people,” Corrin started. “And…I truly don’t want any awkwardness between us. Maybe if I spend some time with you, some memories will come back? I understand that you’re efficient with a spear, Hinoka. Perhaps we could spar after breakfast? I was always told that a good spar can teach you more about a person than words can.”

Hinoka’s eyes brightened. Corrin smiled as she realized she might have said the right thing. If she was itching for a fight, then perhaps some traditions from Nohr translated easily into Hoshido.

“I can do that. How about this—if I win, you have to spend the day with Sakura and I.”

“Hinoka!” Sakura said exasperatedly.

“And if I win?” Corrin asked, grinning.

“Whatever you want. No price is too high.”

To be honest, Corrin had no idea what she wanted. She could just ask for more peaches—she had been thinking about the fruit since last night--but that seemed a little odd. She tossed out the next best thing.

“If I win, you have to convince your brothers to spar with me as well. And you have to help train me.”

Hinoka’s eyes widened. “Really? That’s it?”

“That’s it,” Corrin said. “I’m interested in learning different fighting styles. I’m good with a sword, but not much else. Not to mention, Hoshido seems to have a vastly different weapon system than Nohr. It will be a fantastic experience.”

Hinoka laughed, and Corrin did as well.

“That’s easy. It won’t take much convincing on my part. I’ll warn you though, they won’t go easy on you. And they both wield legendary Hoshidan weapons.”

She doesn’t mention that she’s already battled against legendary weapons. She didn’t exactly win either of those battles, but she had seen how they’d worked. How much different could it be?

“I’m ready to take on that challenge. Besides, it’s only if I beat you. I’ve been locked in a tower for twenty years – I doubt I have the kind of experience you’re expecting.”

Hinoka’s expression changed a little bit, and Sakura furrowed her brow. Corrin realized what she had said after she had said it. Not many people knew about the fact that she had been hidden away all of these years. She quickly changed the subject.

“How about we start first thing after breakfast?” she asked. “That will give me enough time to warm up.”

“Sounds good,” Hinoka said.

“I’m sorry for dominating the situation,” Corrin said to Sakura. “You barely got two words out.”

Sakura shook her head quickly. “N-no, it’s fine. I’m j-just happy to listen in. Thank you for taking the time to listen to us.”

“It was my pleasure,” Corrin said with a smile.

“We’ll meet you at breakfast, then,” Hinoka said, standing up. “Hopefully meeting Sakura and me early will make it a little less overwhelming.”

“Yes, I think it will,” Corrin said, nodding. “Thank you for stopping by. I’ll speak to the both of you later.”

The two of them headed out, and Corrin sat on the couch for a few minutes more, letting the weight of what she’d just done sink in.

Not only had she jumped the gun on fighting with the Hoshidan royal family, but she’d actively agreed to spend the day with them if she lost. And she _was_ going to lose – she wasn’t under any impression that they were weaker than her Nohrian family.

The strangest part about it? She was _excited._

-

Thirty or so minutes later, Corrin entered the dining hall dressed in a non-traditional Hoshidan outfit. She wasn’t sure how the servants had gotten her exact measurements, but she was grateful for it. Her other outfit had gotten rather grimy from days of use, and not to mention uncomfortable. Hoshidan clothing was much different than what she was used to wearing, but it was easy to fit in. Nohrian attire was typically a tighter—something that covered everything while still being practical. Hoshidan fabric allowed much more movement, and it felt much better.

She was happy that she wasn’t wearing her Nohrian armor anymore. It would have made her stand out, and she would avoid that. Where yesterday she had people staring at her left and right, today the atmosphere was much more relaxed.

By the time she made it to the dining room, the tables were already lined with food and mostly everyone was seated. She was quickly escorted to a seat besides Hinoka—something else she was grateful for. Though she had met most of them now, Hinoka was the only one she had spoken to in length. She spotted Azura at the end of the table and gave a small wave.

“It’s lovely to see you, Corrin,” Queen Mikoto said as she sat down. She seemed pleased that Corrin had come. She vaguely wondered if her choice to not attend dinner last night was a bad one. She decided not to think about it too much—she had needed the brief respite.

“It’s an honor to be here,” she replied, smiling genuinely. “I apologize for my absence last night. I had a lot of thinking to do.”

“No apology is needed,” the Queen spoke, shaking her head. “We fully understood that you would need time. You’re here now, that is what matters.”

“Of course.” Despite her best attempts to stay calm, Corrin couldn’t help but be a little tense. Mikoto was her mother, but not the person who raised her. She had swallowed that pill, but it hadn’t settled.

Corrin took a moment to look around at those assembled. Mikoto sat at the head of the table, with Ryoma at her right hand. Kamui sat at her left, then Hinoka, Corrin and Sakura. Next to Ryoma was another male, which Corrin assumed could only be Takumi. Next to him was Azura.

Before she even thought of what she said, Corrin blurted out, “Is it common for Hoshidan men to wear their hair long?”

All eyes were on her. She felt her face and ears grow warm in embarrassment. She had only thought of it because both Ryoma and Takumi had very long hair. She hadn’t wanted that to be the first thing she said to everyone at breakfast.

“I’m so sorry,” Corrin said quickly after a brief silence. “I-I don’t know why I—”

“Yes,” Azura said, easily saving her from more embarrassment. “It is common. Although not just with men. Sometimes it is personal preference, and other times it can show wealth. But I believe both Takumi and Ryoma simply enjoy their hair long.”

Ryoma let out a hearty chuckle. “I often forget all of the ways we differ from Nohr. You must have a lot of questions, Corrin.”

“I do,” she admitted. “I don’t want to take time away from the meal, though. And I’m sorry my first question was so out of the blue.”

“You know, Kamui used to have long hair too,” Hinoka said cheerfully.

“Yeah,” Kamui said under his breath. “And then someone had to cut half of it off.”

“It wasn’t like I meant to,” Takumi hissed. “Can we not talk about this in front of her?”

“No, no,” Corrin said hastily. “You don’t need to avoid conversation on my behalf.”

Takumi huffed and went back to eating his rice. Kamui continued.

“We were sparring one evening and one of his arrows cut right thought it,” he explained. “You’d think it’d only cut off a few strands, but he really wasn’t holding back. His weapon makes it so his arrows are...imbued with magic. Fire magic.”

“O-oh, that was so stressful,” Sakura commented.

“Yeah, you almost lost your head!” Hinoka said.

“You _said_ I shouldn’t hold back,” Takumi accused.

“On my body,” Kamui replied with a grin. “I didn’t mean to cut all of my hair off.”

After a moment or two of laughter, Hinoka glanced at Corrin.

“What about you, Corrin?” Hinoka asked. “Your hair used to be much lighter when you were younger. Did you dye it?””  

“I’ve been wondering that myself,” Ryoma said.

Corrin had been listening in intently while trying to fumble with the utensils given to her—two long sticks? She had never seen anything like it, but she had done her best to imitate everyone else—and dropped them when she was addressed.

“Oh, um, no. Though it is common to color your hair in Nohr, mine is naturally this dark.”

“It looks nice,” Hinoka said. “Honestly, you look more like Mother’s daughter than Kamui does,” she added with a laugh.

“Hey now,” Kamui retorted. “Coming from the one with bright red hair.”

“Do you all dye your hair?” Corrin asked. It was sort of strange that both daughters had vastly different colors than their mother, but she couldn’t think too much about it. Camilla sported purple hair, of all things.

“Yes,” Hinoka admitted. “Both Sakura and I make the time to relax and do one another’s hair. One time we got into a collection of hair dye, and we decided we liked these colors. Though normally we’re both brunettes like our brothers.”

“My husband had brown hair,” Queen Mikoto explained fondly. “Much like the shade Ryoma has now. Most of our children ended up with his hair, but you and Kamui inherited mine.”

“I bleach mine,” Kamui said, easily explaining his white locks.

“It’s the only way we can find him in a crowd,” Takumi muttered.

Conversation continued much like that, and Corrin easily fell into it. They were easy to talk to, and the room was filled with laughter. For the first time, Corrin didn’t try to compare this experience to her life back in Nohr. There was nothing to compare.

After some time, Hinoka stood up and thanked the Queen for her food. She turned to Corrin with a smile.

“Are you ready?” she asked.

“As I’ll ever be,” Corrin responded happily.

“Where are you two headed off to?” Ryoma asked.

“Corrin wanted to spar with me. You weren’t going to use the training arena, were you?” Hinoka asked, tilting her head to the side.

Ryoma shook his head. “No. But I do believe I will follow you both there. Are there any objections?”

Corrin shook her head. “No. I have a few questions I would like to ask, if you wouldn’t mind.”

With a bright smile, Ryoma pushed himself to his feet and followed them out of the dining hall. A few moments after, Sakura excused herself as well.

“What are your thoughts now, my son?” Mikoto asked Kamui. He continued to eat his rice slowly while mulling over his answer.

“She seems to be doing better,” he said finally. “I sense things are not perfect, but we cannot expect them to be.”

Mikoto nodded solemnly. Kamui glanced at Takumi, who wore a darker expression than his typical scowl.

“What of you, Takumi?” Kamui asked. The archer’s head snapped up, and they locked eyes. “You didn’t seem happy all throughout breakfast.”

Takumi doesn’t reply at first. With the way he holds his chopsticks, it’s a wonder he doesn’t break them.

“I don’t trust her,” he muttered. “She could just be here to learn Hoshidan secrets.”

“Takumi,” Mikoto said disapprovingly.

“What?” he snapped. “He asked. Doesn’t anyone think it’s a little strange that she conveniently doesn’t remember anything? She could be totally brainwashed by Garon.”

Kamui didn’t believe that for a second, but he knew Takumi did have a point. There were many myths about twins holding some sort of mental connection, and for a split second the other day, Kamui had been certain he’d felt it. Corrin hadn’t been faking her anguish when she’d learned of her true birth family.

“Azura?” he asked.

The songstress looked over at him. He’d always admired her calm and collected demeanor. Her gaze never faltered as she spoke.

“I don’t believe she’s lying. I’m certain she had no idea that this would happen to her. Perhaps she is a good actor, but not many people keep up an act when alone. The maids heard her crying throughout the night. We also cannot forget the fact that she helped Kaze and Rinkah escape certain death. She had no reason to.”

“What about all of those Hoshidans she slaughtered on the border?” Takumi argued. “There were reports that she crushed that man’s head with a single hand. And we’re just fine with her sparring with Hinoka?”

Azura shrugged. “We all know the brutality of King Garon, Takumi. It was likely she was sent to the border on orders to aggravate us. She probably had no choice in the matter.”

Takumi scoffed. “She was raised Nohrian. She probably didn’t think there was anything wrong with it.”

“Enough,” Queen Mikoto snapped. Takumi glanced away, embarrassed and angry. The Queen sighed.

“Your concerns are being taken into consideration, Takumi. Ryoma had the same thoughts as well. She is being constantly watched by Kaze and Saizo. If… _If_ , perhaps, this is a ploy by King Garon, we are well prepared. For the time being, I think we should all do our best to make her feel welcome.”

“Of course, Mother,” Kamui said dutifully. Takumi muttered an apology, and Azura simply nodded.

“I’ll be retiring to my chambers until this afternoon. Perhaps you should all go to the training arena as well. I’m sure Hinoka at the very least would appreciate your support.”

As she made her way out, Kamui fell into his own thoughts. He watched mindlessly as Takumi stormed out of the room. Had Mother even realized what she had done? She had put his ideas down in favor for Ryoma’s. It was a common occurrence, but he knew that Takumi hated it. He’d seen his brother do everything to outshine Ryoma, but his efforts never truly came to a head.

He wished there was any way he could calm his brother down, but the two of them were never close. In fact, it felt like Takumi hated him most days. He could understand why, if it were true.

“Are you coming?” Azura asked. He hadn’t seen her walk over and jumped at the sound of her voice.

“Oh, yes,” he said. She held out a hand and he took it, pulling himself up with ease. She smiled up at him, and he couldn’t help a sheepish smile in return.

It left just as quickly as it came, however. “Do you think he’s going to be okay?” he asked her.

Azura looked over her shoulder at Takumi’s empty spot, frowning. “I do. For now, anyway. Unfortunately, there isn’t much we can do.”

“You’re right,” Kamui responded. He sucked in a breath and then held out his arm for her. “Well then. Shall we?”

Azura looped her arm though his, and together they made their way to the training arena.

-

Hinoka was perhaps a bit weaker than Camilla. Corrin knew right from the start that she didn’t stand a chance of beating this woman. She had never fought against a lancer, let alone one who was trained to fight in the sky. Though Hinoka had chosen to fight on the ground, Corrin knew it would not change the outcome of the battle.

However, Corrin wasn’t going to leave the arena without making an impression. She didn’t want to seem weak to anybody, least of all herself. The longer she could last, the better. That was what she strived for.

Hinoka rushed her and sent a jab of her lance toward Corrin’s side. She dodged the blow, yet the spear got caught on the fabric of her shirt and tore a minor hole in it. Without thinking, Corrin immediately countered with a wide slash, which Hinoka managed to maneuver around. The red-head was grinning.

“You’re not half bad!” she said cheerfully. Just like her battles with her other siblings, Hinoka had barely broken a sweat. Corrin was managing, but barely.

Corrin was trained to keep quiet during battle. She only grinned back at Hinoka, breathing hard between her teeth before taking another swing. She aimed the blow for Hinoka’s shoulder, but it was easily held back by the wooden pole she wielded.

Hinoka was readying something, but Corrin had no idea what it could be. She focused on her stance but couldn’t find a tell. The lancer feinted, and Corrin fell for it. Before she could register what had happened, she was flat on her back. Hinoka had swept her feet out right from under her.

She was down, but she wasn’t out. She immediately rolled away, and she saw the end of Hinoka’s pole hit the ground where her torso had just been. It wouldn’t have pierced through her, but it definitely would have hurt, and it would have ended the battle. She was glad her instincts paid off.

Corrin immediately grabbed a hold of her dropped weapon and pointed it at Hinoka’s throat. They were both breathing hard now, but Hinoka didn’t seem anywhere near done. With a swift movement, Hinoka had moved her pole from its place in the ground to against Corrin’s sword. With the grace of a dancer, Hinoka had flicked the sword from Corrin’s hand once more—this time too far to read--and aimed the sharp part of her weapon at her torso.

“I yield,” Corrin said breathlessly. Hinoka let out a laugh and backed off. She held out her hand, and Corrin graciously took it and pulled herself up.

“Looks like you’re spending the rest of the day with us,” Hinoka said with a grin. Corrin couldn’t help but smile back. The woman’s joy was contagious.  

“Looks like it,” she replied. “I thought I had learned a lot about battle, but everything about your style was different than I’m used to. I really didn’t stand a chance.”

“How long have you been training, Corrin?” Ryoma asked. She hadn’t seen him come over. He handed them both a container of water, and Corrin accepted it graciously. She took a drink before replying. Along with the battle, the sun had taken a lot out of her. It was relentlessly hot—something she wasn’t accustomed to.

“A year,” she said, hardly having to think about it. “My sib—” she began, but cut herself off. She doesn’t want to mention her Nohrian family. The slip up made her nervous, but she covers her mistake quickly.

“The people who trained me were formidable, and I could never actually beat them. I’ve seen magic, axes, swords…never a naginata, though. Our spears work differently.”

“I see,” Ryoma nodded. He must have noticed her pause, but he doesn’t mention it. “Well, if you’re interested in learning, I’m sure Hinoka would love to train you. I don’t have an overabundance of time, but I could as well.”

“Ooh, Kamui would love to spar,” Hinoka said. “I’d love to see you two fight.”

Corrin laughed. “I might just take you up on those offers. I love this kind of stuff.”

She acutely noticed how neither of them mentioned Takumi. She knew that Sakura was a healer and preferred not to fight, but Takumi…she didn’t think that was the case with him. She tried to not let it bug her, but it did, if only a little.

“Anyway, we have plans with our little sister,” Hinoka said, putting her hands on Corrin’s shoulders. “We’re going to show her some of the things Hoshido has to offer. No royal princes allowed.”

Ryoma laughed, long and hearty. “Of course, do not let me keep you. Don’t be afraid to shout for one of us if Hinoka is too overbearing, Corrin.”

Corrin smiled. “I’m sure that won’t be a problem.”

“I hate to interrupt, Lady Hinoka, but may I have a word?” a voice called from behind. Corrin turned to see a man and a woman, both dressed in unrecognizable Hoshidan garb. The woman sported a bow and a short haircut, while the man had the strangest hairstyle she’d ever seen.

“Oh, of course,” Hinoka said. “Corrin, these are my retainers: Setsuna and Azama. They’re a little eccentric, but they’re good people.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Corrin said with a bow of her head. The two responded in kind.

“I’ll be just a moment,” Hinoka said while stepping off to the side with them. Corrin turned back toward the castle, determined to find some shade while she waited. Instead, she spotted Azura and Kamui exiting the castle arm in arm, leisurely making their way toward the training area. Ryoma had left once Hinoka had been called away, and Corrin had no one else to speak with.

Hinoka had said that no princes were allowed, but Azura was a princess, was she not? Corrin found that she wanted to know the woman better, especially after what had happened the night before. She was walking over to them before she really thought about it.

“Lady Corrin,” Azura said fondly as she approached. “I’m sorry we missed your battle. Kamui and I got sidetracked.”

Corrin shook her head. “You didn’t miss much. Hinoka is a fine warrior—she beat me within minutes.”

“You are uninjured?” Kamui asked. “My sister is known for forgetting her strength in battle. Sakura can tend to your hurts if so.”

“Hinoka was a perfect lady during our battle. I have no injuries. To be honest, I think the sun is hurting me more.”

“Oh, come to the shade,” Kamui said. “You’re likely to burn if you stand around outside for too long.”

They moved to a comfortable spot under a tree, and upon seeing that Hinoka was still deep in conversation with her retainers, Corrin sat down and spread her legs out in front of her. Despite the initial awkwardness she had felt about talking to all of her new siblings, she felt comfortable with Kamui and Azura. She couldn’t truly explain why.

“Azura, I’ve been meaning to ask,” Corrin started, looking up at the princess. “Hinoka is going to show me around today, accompanied by Sakura. Would you like to come?”

Azura looked at her in surprise. “I would not say no, but I do not wish to impede.”

Corrin smiled. “The choice is yours, but I would enjoy having you there.”

“I hope she doesn’t plan on taking you out today,” Kamui said thoughtfully. “Tomorrow is the flower festival. The entire city is bustling around trying to get all the decorations in place. I doubt most places are open in preparation.”

Corrin blinked. “A festival? What’s that?”

Kamui looked down at her. He seemed surprised for a moment, but it was quickly replaced with something else.

“Consider it a holiday. We take a day off to celebrate an important date. Tomorrow is when the sakura blossoms are in full bloom. Many people consider it a good omen, and as such, we take the time to honor the Gods that give us good fortune.”

“I see,” Corrin said. She stared up at the sky, once again pondering the differences between Hoshido and Nohr. She had never even heard of a holiday. As far as she was aware, there was nothing like it in Nohr.

“Corrin! Are you ready to go? Sakura is already waiting for us at our first destination,” Hinoka said as she jogged up.

“I’m ready,” she said while pulling herself to her feet. “Is everything alright?” she asked, looking back at her retainers.

Hinoka nodded. “Yeah, just some flower festival stuff that they were concerned about. Nothing to worry about.”

“That’s good. Also, is it okay if Azura joined us? You said no princes allowed to Ryoma, but…” Corrin trailed.

Hinoka grinned. “Of course! I didn’t ask before because I thought you’d be busy, Azura. That, and we’re taking Corrin to a hot spring. I know you don’t enjoy them.”

Azura smiled demurely. “That’s very thoughtful, Hinoka, though I think I will tough one out for Corrin. It will be a good bonding experience.”

“Great! Let’s get going, then.”

-

“I have no idea what a hot spring is,” Corrin said later on. They had gone into a changing room, and when her sisters began removing clothing, Corrin had spun away and hadn’t looked back.

Hinoka chuckled. “Don’t worry, it isn’t anything strange. It’s like…a really big bath.”

“We don’t go in without something to cover us,” Azura said lightly. “I was confused when I first came here, too.”

“I-it’s a Hoshidan custom,” Sakura said. She had spoken so little that Corrin had almost forgotten the sound of her voice. “It’s…supposed to be like going to a beach or a pool. But instead of swimming, we bathe and t-talk to one another.”

“Oh,” Corrin said, relaxing a little. “I don’t really have anything to wear in there…”

“We came prepared. There should be something in that locker for you. And just so you know, most places in Hoshido do prefer that you go into a hot spring unclothed, but we decided to do it differently here. Most of my siblings are pretty modest. So, if anyone else asks you to go to a hot spring, don’t assume you’ll have clothing on for it.”

“Good to know,” Corrin said while searching for the change of clothes. Once she found it, she went through the motions of stripping down and replacing her under armor with the bathing suit. There were walls that allowed her to change in private, which she greatly appreciated.

Felicia had helped her change a number of times, but she still considered herself very modest. Everyone else seemed to use the walls as well besides Hinoka, who apparently had no qualms about changing in the open. To each their own. Hinoka also quickly ushered her over to a shower, saying that she needed to scrub off any dirt before they went in. Corrin was confused as to why she needed to bathe twice, but she decided to be respectful about it. She had no reason to argue either—she hadn’t properly bathed in days and scrubbing the dirt off of herself felt wonderful.

When she was done, the four of them met back up in the changing room and began chatting. Azura and Sakura had taken a similar approach regarding dress—they both emerged with towels covering their bathing suits. Azura had taken the longest out of them all, as she had spent time pinning her hair back out of her face and wrapping it in a ponytail. Hinoka and Sakura didn’t have that problem, but Corrin began to wonder if she should have pinned hers back as well. She really had no idea what to expect once they got out there.

Once she saw that two of the three Hoshidan princesses were wearing towels, she slipped one over herself as well. It made her feel better. Hinoka, however, lead the way out of the changing room with her towel over her arm, showing off a very toned body. She reminded Corrin of Camilla. She was smaller than the eldest Nohrian sibling in a lot of ways, but she still had a very strong frame and muscles to match.

They finally emerged outside, and Corrin’s jaw dropped at the sight. It was a beautifully decorated pavilion that seemed built specifically for the purpose of outdoor bathing. She had been expecting something indoors, but once she saw how it was all supposed to work, it only made sense that it would be outdoors.

“Nice, huh?” Hinoka asked with a grin. Corrin nodded dumbly. Once she felt the steam from the bath hit her face, she let out a happy sigh.

Sakura was the first to step in, submerging herself with a few simple strides. Corrin was content on waiting for Hinoka to go first, but the princess motioned for her to go ahead.

She stepped in, and though the warmth felt fantastic on her feet, she felt something else jolt up her leg that erased the thought entirely.

“There’s a dragon vein here,” she exclaimed. She looked back at Hinoka and Azura with wide eyes.

Hinoka chuckled. “Yeah! This pool is restricted to the royal family only. We use it to keep the water warm. Or, sometimes, if Takumi is being an ass, we freeze it on him. Don’t worry, though, we made sure it would only be us girls here today.”

Corrin smiled. “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

With a chuckle, Corrin continued in and made her way over to Sakura. It wasn’t as deep as a pool, but she could easily submerge herself if she wanted. The warmth water felt amazing on her skin, and she let out a blissful sigh. She had needed something like this. The last few days had taken a toll on her, and she had become so tense. She felt her muscles relax as the heat washed over her, and she hummed her appreciation.

Despite her best efforts, Azura couldn’t get into the pool without getting her hair wet. After a lot of shuffling around, she admitted defeat and stopped fussing with it. As her hair floated around her, Corrin couldn’t help but feel that she looked like some sort of mythical creature. A mermaid, maybe.

There was a long time of silent contemplation, and Corrin got the impression that that was normal for a hot spring. It was easy to lose herself to her thoughts while she was here. The water was warm, slightly perfumed, and felt silky on her skin. It was a dangerous combination, making her feel drowsy and happy.

“U-um,” Sakura spoke up, glancing at Corrin. “W-would you mind telling us about your life in Nohr, Corrin?”

Corrin’s eyes widened, and she tensed a little. She had purposefully avoided the topic, if only because she didn’t want to make anyone here uncomfortable.

“Oh, um, is that okay?” she asked, looking around at the others. “I don’t mind, it’s just…people don’t like Nohr.”

“I…I want to know more about you,” Sakura admitted softly. She seemed to stick herself deeper in the water than anyone else, as if it acted as a barrier to protect her from judgement. Corrin got the impression that she was very high strung and riddled with anxiety, even though they had hardly spoken more than once. She really couldn’t judge her.

“I-I don’t mind hearing about Nohr. I hear t-that it’s beautiful in the winter,” she added awkwardly. Corrin smiled, understanding the sentiment.

“It is beautiful,” she said. “In its own way. Hoshido has this type of fierce overflowing beauty. It’s bright and kind and…elegant. Nohr is harsh and dark, but there are good things about it. If you can see beyond who sits on the throne, then…you’ll see that its people, it’s architecture, it’s all beautiful. Lackluster in comparison, I suppose.”

“What did you do over there?” Hinoka asked. “We never really heard a lot.”

Corrin pressed her lips together. She was certain that they all had heard many things about her life in Nohr, and none of them were good. Though she wasn’t under any impression that her circumstance had been normal, it was all she knew, and those memories were still precious. Some of them, anyway.

“I lived in a big tower hidden away from any major cities. I was forbidden to leave, though I never truly understood why. I didn’t question it until I was older.” She looked up to see all three of them staring at her, listening intently, and she hurried on, not wanting to focus on that.

“I had many people to keep me company, though, so I was never lonely. One of those people was the maid that came with me here—Felicia. She, her twin sister, and a man named Jakob were always at the Fortress making sure my needs were met. Though they became less like servants and more like family.”

“I’ve seen her around,” Hinoka commented. “She wears a very specific outfit. She also, uh…really can’t handle her plates, can she?”

“Hinoka,” Sakura said worriedly.

Corrin laughed. “No, no, Felicia is notorious for breaking plates. Let me guess—ten of them?”

Hinoka kissed her teeth and gave a thumbs up. Higher.

“Thirteen,” she guessed. “That’s her lucky number.”

Hinoka laughed. “You got it, actually. The rest of the maids put her on folding duty because we couldn’t afford to lose any more.” 

Corrin shook her head, still grinning. “Sorry, it’s probably not that funny to you guys. She gets really embarrassed over it, but it’s very common for us to take bets on how many she’ll break in a day. What she lacks in finesse she makes up for in combat. You haven’t seen anyone more proficient with a dagger.”

“That makes sense,” Hinoka commented. “She’s almost taken out three of our maids since she’s been here. I don’t think I’d want to mess with her.”

“I’m sorry,” Corrin laughed. “I’ll have to apologize to your staff. I’ll make sure Felicia is with me from now on.”

“I-I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Sakura said. She looked happy as she listened in, a small smile cutting through the nervousness that had permanently painted her features. Corrin was glad to see that she could make her smile.

Azura looked cheerful as well, but most of her attention was focused on making sure her hair didn’t spread out too far around her. Corrin had no idea how she was even able to move with it that long. It was pretty, but it did seem like it took a lot of effort to maintain.

“So, what else did you have planned for us today?” Corrin asked, turning to look back at Hinoka. The redhead tilted her head to the side thoughtfully.

“Well, I was going to take you around the main city, but my retainers so kindly reminded me that doing that would be more hassle than it was worth. I figure we can snag a bottle of saké and hang out in one of the main living rooms until dinner. Tomorrow, though, we’re all going to head out to the flower festival together.”

“That sounds nice,” Corrin said. “Though I have no idea what saké is.”

“Rice wine,” Hinoka chirped.

“It’s really good,” Sakura said softly. “I-I used to drink it a little before I became a shrine maiden.”

“Oh, does that make you a priestess?” Corrin asked.

“Y-yes, sort of. A shrine maiden is a step before priestess. I-I haven’t completed my training.”

“I see,” Corrin said. Sakura reminded her a bit of Elise. They had vastly different temperaments, but she could see them getting along if their paths ever crossed.

“I have a lot to learn about Hoshido. I hope my questions aren’t too annoying,” she continued.

“Not at all,” Hinoka said, waving her off. “You’re our sister, Corrin. We all want you to understand and feel welcome here.”

Corrin’s gaze flitted to Azura, who gave her a reassuring smile. Corrin nodded softly.

“Thank you. I can’t even begin to explain how much that means to me.”

And while her day was far from being over, Corrin felt that she didn’t have much more to worry about. She let Hinoka and the others drag her around, and she smiled the entire time.

It was the first real day that she’d been happy that she left the Northern Fortress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Yes, Corrin and Kamui have naturally dark hair like Mikoto! In this version, they are very much the daughter and son of Mikoto and Sumeragi. There won’t be any odd way of explaining that away later on down the line. (I hated that they did that right at the end of Revelations! It never made any sense to me.) In any case, sorry if there was any confusion, and thanks for reading! More of this will be explained later on down the line via the story. 
> 
> And though I did explain already, I’d like to reiterate: Hot springs, or Onsens, are different than how I described them. As I’ve made it obvious in the tags, I don’t want to make ANY part of my story seem awkward or incest-like, so I decided to clothe them. Nudity being shunned is a very western ideal, and I fought with having it be more traditionally Japanese, but in the end, I couldn’t get over my personal hump of having it just be too awkward if they were naked. I’m sorry for that—but I don’t want to intentionally spread misinformation! Let me know if anything else is wrong about my interpretation, and I’ll do my best to fix it. Thank you!


	8. Sakura Blossoms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fireworks.

7

The rest of the day flew by, with the four royals wreaking havoc around the castle. Before Corrin knew it, the entire day had passed, and she was standing in front of a mirror watching as Felicia curled her hair.

“The first few times were because I didn’t know the layout of the kitchen,” Felicia whined. “Then someone bumped into me, and then the time after that, I tripped…oh, I’m never going to match up to Jakob.”

“Felicia, you can’t compare yourself to him,” Corrin replied calmly. “Besides, I think you’re better at combat than him. Please don’t tell him I said so, though. He’ll do nothing but destroy striking dummies for the next year.”

Felicia let out a defeated sigh. “It’s nice of you to say that, Lady Corrin. It’s just that combat is only one of my duties as your maid. I have to be good at everything else to serve you properly.”

“I think you do a wonderful job at taking care of me,” Corrin said. For a moment she grew silent, focusing on Felicia’s face in the mirror. She wasn’t lying; she trusted Felicia with many things. She was sufficient in laundry, makeup, styling hair, and other mundane things. She was only terrible at cooking and carrying things around. That was a big part of being a maid, however…

“What if I said I didn’t want you as my maid anymore?” Corrin asked. Felicia’s head shot up, and they stared at each other in the mirror for a moment. Felicia’s hands froze, and her mouth fell open in horror.

“W-what?” she asked quietly.

“What if I said I wanted you as my retainer instead?”

Corrin recalled how Hinoka had acted around her retainers. Perhaps they would do everything that Hinoka needed, but they seemed like they were her friends, too. People who she trusted to protect her more than anyone else.

She didn’t see Felicia as her maid. She saw her as the someone who could protect her, and one of the few people she trusted more than anything. Most of all, she was her friend. It didn’t feel right to have her friend bend to her every whim. As her retainer, Felicia would have much more freedom.

“L-Lady Corrin,” Felicia stammered, tears immediately streaming down her cheeks. Corrin’s first instinct was to comfort her, but the smell of burning hair distracted her.

“Felicia!” Corrin shouted. Her maid yelped and removed the burner from Corrin’s hair immediately. As soon as she set it down, she moved her hand back to the affected curl and cooled it down with ice magic.

“I’m so sorry!” Felicia cried. “I-I didn’t mean it, I swear! Oh, you just asked me to be your retainer and I’m already messing it up!”

Corrin tilted her head back and laughed. “Please, as long as I still have most of my hair, we’re fine. Does this mean you accept?”

“I do!” Felicia said. “It would be my honor, Lady Corrin! I’ll practice every day to be sure that I’m up to snuff. I’ll even have Gunter—” she cut herself off. “Oh. Well, I’ll have Jakob train me. Ooh, he’s gonna be so jealous!”

Despite the sharp reminder that Gunter was gone, Corrin managed a laugh. She did consider how Jakob might feel about it, but as things were, it wasn’t a big problem. She wasn’t even in Nohr.

Thinking of Nohr only brought her down more. It was easy to forget about it while she was living here. She did plan on going back. She just wasn’t going back soon.

There was a knock on the door, and Azura’s voice called out.

“Corrin, are you there?”

“Oh, we’re not ready,” Felicia said, looking at the back of Corrin’s head. “My lady has a lot of hair to curl.”

“You can come in, Azura,” Corrin called.

The songstress stepped inside and smiled. “You’re looking wonderful, Corrin. I’m sorry to interrupt.”

“It’s not a problem. Is it already time to go?” Corrin asked.

“Yes, but I believe we have time. Do you need help with anything?”

“Um, do you know how to curl hair?” Felicia asked. “I can work on Lady Corrin’s makeup if you do. I almost burned her, so I don’t really want to continue…”

“You’re doing fine, Felicia. And truthfully, I don’t need the makeup. It’s so warm in Hoshido, I will probably sweat it off within a few minutes anyway.”

“If you say so!” Felicia said cheerfully. “I know I haven’t gotten used to this heat. I grew up in the Ice Tribe, and Nohr was a lot warmer than that. Hoshido is like a constant sauna!”

Azura looked at Felicia, a curious glimmer in her eyes. “You’re from the Ice tribe? I have never met anyone from that particular tribe before.”

“Oh yeah! My father is actually the chief. My sister is set to inherit the title, so that’s not something I need to worry about, thankfully. But, if you ever need something frozen, I’m your gal!”

Corrin rubbed her cheek absentmindedly. “There have been too many mornings when _I_ was the thing that needed to be frozen. It’s awful.”

Both Felicia and Azura laughed, and after a few more minutes of conversation, Felicia declared that she was finished.

“All I need to do now is clip your bangs back…” she trailed, grasping for a clip. She slipped it in, snapped it shut, and smiled wide.

“There! I’d like to see Jakob do that!”

“Thank you, Felicia. I think it looks wonderful,” Corrin said, chuckling. She stood up from her chair and faced Azura properly.

“Am I dressed well for the event? I’ll admit I know nothing of Hoshidan fashion.”

The maids had brought in an outfit earlier that morning, and Corrin had thought that it seemed very…Nohrian. It was dyed lighter colors, but it fit tighter, much like Nohrian clothing did. It wasn’t overly fancy either—not something she would have chosen for a celebration. Then again, she’d never been to one. She didn’t know what to expect.

Azura was dressed in an extravagant white dress; similar to the one Corrin seen her in when they’d first met at the lake. It covered most of her skin but exposed her legs from the thigh down. She wore a pair of elegant white tights that had golden embroidery at the top, with some golden jewelry mixed in as well. A pair of flats tied the outfit together to give her a gorgeous and elegant look.

“We will be walking around a lot today,” Azura said. “It’s better if you wear something comfortable. You may see some traditional dress in the city, but that tends to be for schoolkids and people who are feeling nostalgic.”

“I see,” Corrin said. “Well, in that case, I am ready when you are. I’m very excited to see the city.”

Azura held out a hand, and after they said their goodbyes to Felicia—who had panicked for a solid three minutes over whether or not she should come now that she was Corrin’s retainer—they were off to find the rest of the royals.

-

Corrin had been right about one thing; Hoshido was _hot._

She thought that she was in fairly good shape, but as they made their way through the city, she couldn’t ignore the sweat dripping down her neck. She wished that she’d thought to wear her hair up instead of making Felicia go through all the work of curling it.

“Is it really okay to go out like this?” she asked Ryoma. He looked down at her, eyebrows raised. “I mean, I’ve never heard of any Nohrian royalty gathering like this. It seems…dangerous, somehow. Are we not at risk at all?”

“Our people have no reason to want to assassinate us,” Takumi said offhandedly. Hinoka reached over and smacked his arm. He glared at her, and they soon got in a hushed argument.

“Well, there is always a chance one of us might be targeted,” Ryoma replied, looking thoughtful. “But I see no reason we should not celebrate. We are all warriors, save Sakura and Azura. Not to mention we are all well protected, even if our warriors are hidden. Dispel your worries, Corrin. We are in no danger here.”

“Oh, I wasn’t worried,” Corrin said, staring out at the festivities in front of her. The closer they got, the more childish glee she felt. “More curious.”

Hoshido was beautiful. She had found herself enraptured by its beauty many times now, but it still managed to shake her to her core. Today fascinated her exceptionally so; paper lanterns hung from the rooftops, some floating around like magic. From a distance, they lit up the city like little glowing stars.

It had been explained to her that the flower festival was to celebrate the blooming of the Sakura trees, something that happened during the spring. Now she fully understood what that meant; pink petals flew all around her, covering the ground and landing in her hair. They smelled wonderful. She caught a petal in her hands and marveled at how soft it felt.

She felt a hand on her back, and she jumped. She looked up to see Kamui looking down at her and smiling.

“Come, sister. If you’re enamored by that, you’ve much to see.”

Each sibling had something that they wanted to show her. Hinoka had grabbed hold of her first and had whisked her away to a booth that seemed to hold countless prizes. As they approached, the vendor immediately recognized Hinoka and gave a big grin.

“Your highness! I’m glad you returned. I have a special set for you this year. Think you can beat it?”

Hinoka slapped down some coin, and Corrin couldn’t help but giggle at her enthusiasm.

“You bet! Give me all you’ve got.”

“What is this, Hinoka?” Corrin asked, watching as the man set up some targets.

“It’s a test of strength,” Hinoka replied cheerfully. “And accuracy, I guess. If I hit all of the targets and break them, I get a prize!”

The vendor returned, looking amused. “She’s never lost. I used to just use bottles, but she beat it too easily. Now we use hardwood. Wicked arm, this one.”

“You’re going to break that with a ball?” Corrin asked incredulously.

“You might want to step back,” Hinoka said. “You too, Mr. Tanaka.”

When Hinoka lifted the ball, Corrin quickly recognized that it wasn’t a toy. The ones they’d prepared for Hinoka were something heavy. Corrin’s eyes widened, and she took a few steps back, but she still wanted to watch. They’d gained a bit of a crowd as well, and she didn’t want to lose herself in it.

When Hinoka had started, there were three targets. She lifted the first ball and carefully aimed it, rolling it in her hand once or twice before reeling back and throwing it. Corrin only blinked, and she managed to miss it. A loud crack sounded through the booth, and the crowd gasped, she along with them.

The target was no more than splinters. Hinoka had destroyed it. She looked over at Corrin and laughed at her expression.

“You’re gonna swallow a firefly if you keep gaping, Corrin!”

Corrin shut her mouth, shaking her head in bewilderment.

“This doesn’t even seem possible!” she said, laughing.

“Keep watching, we aren’t done yet!”

The next two went as quickly as the first. Corrin missed the entirety of the second one as well—she had been anticipating the loud noise that came from it and had flinched too early. The third time she saw the entire scene; Hinoka blowing the third target away without even breaking a sweat.

Her sister was something else.

“Great job, your highness!” The vendor laughed. “We’ll get you next year, certainly. Choose a prize! Any of them for your talent.”

“Corrin, you choose,” Hinoka said, waving her closer. “You don’t have festivals in Nohr, right? You pick something for yourself.”

“You’re sure?” Corrin asked meekly. “You won, it doesn’t seem fair that I get the prize.”

Hinoka shook her head. “Don’t worry about it. I can always play again.”

There were many prizes to choose from, and Corrin didn’t even know where to start. Some were huge, some were smaller, but her gaze landed on a medium prize. She pointed at it sheepishly and asked, “Will this do?”

“Of course,” the vendor said, already heading to unhook it. “Thank you so much for visiting, and I do hope to see you both again.”

He handed her the toy and she smiled. It was made of strange material, but it was soft and warm from being in the sun.

“I didn’t know you liked dogs,” Hinoka said as they wandered away. “You know what breed that is, right?”

Corrin shook her head. “No, actually. I’ve never seen a dog like this. The only ones I’ve seen were big and slim. This one is…small and pudgy.”

Hinoka laughed. “It’s a Shiba! They’re native to Hoshido. Stubborn little guys, but very sweet.”

Corrin smiled lightly, hugging it close to her chest. She had never had a stuffed animal before. Hugging it like that made her feel very childish, but safe, somehow.

“Come on, I’ll take you to Sakura. I know she wanted to show you something. It’s basically her day anyway, being named after the festival.”

Hinoka took Corrin’s hand and dragged her though the city, stopping at a large building. It was decorated for the festival, but less so than other places. It seemed quieter over here than the rest of the city, which seemed accurate to Sakura’s personality.

“What is this?” Corrin asked, looking up at the strange structure.

“It’s a temple,” Hinoka said. “Sakura is a shrine maiden, so she comes here to pray. During the festival they do some fortune telling and prayers. They sell some stuff too, so don’t be afraid to ask if you want anything.”

Corrin had never even thought about buying things. She’d never had money before—she’d never had a use for it. She felt a little bad for asking now and resigned herself to not getting anything. The Shiba was more than enough.

“O-oh! You came,” Sakura said when she spotted them. She looked happy to see them. “You just missed Azura, but she said she’ll meet up with you both later. D-did you come to get your fortunes read?”

“Sure!” Hinoka said. “Two Omikuji, please.”

Sakura smiled. She turned to reach for something behind her, only to have it handed to her by a tall red-headed man.

“Thank you, Subaki. H-here, Corrin. Omikuji are better known as paper fortunes. They’ll tell you if you’re going to be lucky or not in the next few days.”

“Interesting,” Corrin said. She peered into the bamboo container, then carefully reached in and pulled one out. Hinoka and Sakura did it as well, and Corrin waited to see what theirs was before she opened hers.

“Yes!” Hinoka cheered. “I got a blessing.”

“So did I,” Sakura said happily.

Corrin smiled, though her featured remained conflicted. “It says I got a curse…” 

“O-oh!” Sakura said. “We have a tradition for that. Follow me.”

Sakura led her to a wall that was filled with papers. Corrin hadn’t noticed it before, but it seemed like many people had come and placed their fortunes here.

“When you obtain a good fortune, it’s best that you take it home with you,” she explained. “However, if you get a curse, it’s best you leave it behind. If you tie it here, we believe the curse will not follow you.”

“I see,” Corrin said. “Well, can you show me how to tie it? I haven’t done anything like this before…”

“Of course,” Sakura nodded. Soon she had her fortune tied up with the rest of them, and she grinned at her work.

“Don’t feel bad, Corrin,” Sakura added after a moment. “Takumi got a curse as well. He almost always does.”

Corrin frowned. She felt bad for him. He seemed so distant from the rest of his family. Corrin had spent most of her life surrounded with people who loved her. Takumi must have as well, but perhaps he was treated differently.

“Speaking of Takumi,” Hinoka said, crossing her arms. “Where is he? I haven’t seen him since we got here.”

“Umm…probably near the mochi vendor. It’s one of the things he r-really looks forward to this time of year.”

“He better not spend the whole day brooding,” Hinoka said with a scowl. “The sakura festival is supposed to be lighthearted! Come on, Corrin, let’s go find him.”

Corrin had a sinking feeling that she was the last person Takumi wanted to see, but she was too nervous to argue. She didn’t want them thinking she disliked Takumi, because truly, she had no qualms with him.

“Um…are you going to come, Sakura?”

Sakura shook her head. “I’m in charge until another shrine maiden t-takes my place. I-I’ll meet up with you later.”

Hinoka and Corrin both waved goodbye to her and set off back toward the celebration. Hinoka seemed to know exactly where to go, and soon they were sitting across from Takumi, who looked less than enthused to see them.

“Shouldn’t you be off enjoying the festival?” he asked, more focused on his mochi than them.

“I could ask you the same thing you know,” Hinoka countered. “Why are you hovering around the mochi stand?”

Corrin turned her attention to the passersby, feeling like she was listening to a private conversation. She really wished she could just disappear while they spoke.

“I like mochi. I’m having a great time,” Takumi deadpanned.

“Takumi, you can’t sit here and mope—”

“Can we not do this in front of _her?”_ he asked, pointing at Corrin accusingly. Her heart jumped to her throat and she leaned back a little. He had said something similar at yesterday’s breakfast. He really didn’t want her around.

“Um, I can go—” Corrin said.

“No,” both siblings said. Takumi put both of his hands on the table so quickly that Corrin flinched. He pushed himself up and walked away from them.

“Stay there,” he sighed.

Corrin suddenly felt very small. “He doesn’t like, does he?” she asked once he was out of earshot.

Hinoka put her chin on her hand. “Takumi’s never been good when it comes to strangers. Not to mention…he really dislikes Nohr. He was young when Father died, but he still really looked up to him. It made him bitter. He even found the one woman in Hoshido who prides herself on spilling Nohrian blood to be his retainer.”

Corrin shuddered. She didn’t know what to say to that. She could understand why he was so angry, especially at her. It was her fault that his father had been killed. Even so, her understanding didn’t stop her from feeling anxious about it. She still wanted to know her brother.

Takumi came back a few minutes later with a large plate in his hands. He set it down, and Corrin’s eyes widened.

“There,” he said, not meeting anyone’s gaze. “I know they don’t have this in Nohr. It’s mochi. I got some dango as well. Eat it.”

 Corrin looked at the food to him, but he was still refusing to look at her. She had a strange feeling that this was a peace offering of sorts. Despite his standoffish act, she actually felt…better. Not entirely convinced that he didn’t hate her, but better than before.

“Thank you, Takumi,” she said politely. She gently picked up a mochi, handling it cautiously as though it would break if she weren’t careful enough. She noticed that there was a leaf covering the pink part of it, and she briefly wondered if she could eat it. She didn’t want to seem ungrateful for the gift, so she quickly bit into it.

“Oh,” she said, covering her mouth with her free hand. There had been a filling that spilled out when she bit in. “It’s sweet,” she said with her mouth full.

She wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but this hadn’t been it. She didn’t dislike it—in fact, it was pretty tasty. It was just strange compared to what she was used to.

Hinoka giggled, and Takumi tried to hide a smile by eating one himself. She caught his grin and couldn’t help but return the look, even if her hand still covered her mouth. She swallowed quickly.

“I love it,” she said honestly. “Thank you so much. I’ve never had anything like it before.”

“It’s my favorite part of this festival,” he said, having gone back to not looking at her again. “Besides the fireworks.”

Corrin’s eyebrows raised. “What’s that?”

“You’ve never seen fireworks?” Takumi asked skeptically. Corrin shook her head. “Well, they start when the sun goes down. You won’t miss them.”

Corrin looked at Hinoka for help, but the red-head only grinned. “I want it to be a surprise. You’re gonna love it.”

After finishing up most of the desserts, Hinoka stood up. “We’ve still got more things to do. Have you ever fished for a goldfish?”

“I’ve never fished at all,” Corrin said.

“Ooh, come on then! Let’s get you a friend.”

Hinoka practically pulled Corrin out of her seat, and as she was being dragged away, Corrin made sure to wave goodbye to Takumi. She didn’t think a plate of mochi would fix their strange relationship, but it hadn’t hurt it. She left the table feeling warm inside.

“Thank you!” she called back to him. Just as she was pulled around a corner, she noticed him smile again and wave dismissively.

She grinned to herself. Maybe she really had left her bad luck at the shrine.

-

When night finally fell upon Hoshido, Corrin was exhausted. It wasn’t an unpleasant feeling though. She was happily tired when she met back up with the rest of the royals. It wasn’t that she was out of shape, but she had never done so many activities in one day that required constant energy. Hinoka had been full of vigor, dragging her back and forth to every stall and game there was. Corrin left the festival grounds with a full belly, a dog plush, and a small goldfish, which Sakura insisted on carrying for her.

“It looks like our sister ran you ragged,” Ryoma said cheerfully as he led them up a small hill. Corrin’s legs burned from the effort, but she managed a nod.

“I definitely got the full experience,” she said with a breathy laugh. “But I’m grateful for it. I had a lot of fun today.”

“Good to hear,” Ryoma replied, pleased with the answer.

“Well it’s not over yet,” Hinoka said. “Corrin has never seen fireworks. Don’t tell her what they are.”

“A-are you sure they won’t startle her?” Sakura asked.

Corrin glanced back at her. “Are they scary?”

“W-well…”

“Sakura is easily frightened. She used to cry whenever they blew up,” Ryoma explained.

_Blew up?_

“I-I don’t anymore…!” Sakura insisted, clearly embarrassed.

When they made it to the top of the hill, Corrin was the first to plop down onto the grass. If she wasn’t so excited to learn what fireworks were, she might have fallen asleep right then and there. Sakura and Hinoka sat down beside her and immediately started chatting, which kept her focused enough to not feel drowsy. Ryoma and Takumi sat off to the side, chatting idly. However, she couldn’t spot Azura or Kamui. She had to turn her entire body around to find them.

When she did, she felt as if she’d seen something that she shouldn’t have. Kamui had lifted his hand to her face, gently tucking a piece of Azura’s hair behind her ear. She smiled up at him gently, and though neither of them spoke, there was an undeniable energy between them.

Corrin quickly turned back around, but she wasn’t fast enough. Hinoka had noticed and she nudged her playfully.

“What lovebirds, huh?” she said.

Corrin felt embarrassed for them. “I hadn’t realized that they…”

“Oh, I don’t think they’re together or anything yet. He’s too nervous to ask, but we all know he wants to.”

“Why doesn’t he?” Corrin asked. “Azura seems very kind, and very interested. They would be a good match.”

“Well…I think I know, but it’s not a topic for tonight. I’ll tell you some other time.”

Corrin looked at her curiously, but she didn’t push the subject. She decided it was for the better—she wanted Kamui and Azura to have their peace. She knew that she would want the same.

An explosion ripped Corrin from her thoughts, causing her to jump and jerk her head toward the source of it. Her heart racing in her chest, she could hardly register what it could have been when—

“They’re starting!” Hinoka exclaimed. She pointed up toward the sky, where a splash of color was raining down. Corrin’s eyes widened at the sight, and suddenly she felt like a child again, enamored by such loud noises and pretty colors.

A few moments passed and another one went off. Sakura jumped beside her and moved in to grab her sleeve. Corrin hardly thought about it—she adjusted herself and held out her hand for Sakura to hold. The youngest Hoshidan sibling looked up at her with a nervous expression, but tentatively took her hand. Every time another firework would go off, Sakura would squeeze her hand, but she didn’t jump again.

There were so many colors, and Corrin couldn’t begin to fathom how they could get them to blow up in the sky like they were. It reminded her of stardust or meteors—she wanted to have one land in her palm so that she could make a wish. But what would she wish for?

She would wish for more of this. More of Sakura squeezing her hand for security. More of Takumi smiling out of the corner of her eye. More of Hinoka whooping and hollering at the fireworks. More Azura and Kamui finding comfort with one another as the sky light up brilliantly in front of them.

She would wish for this and so much more. She’d want her entire family here. Elise and Leo and Camilla…Felicia and Xander.

Suddenly the fireworks grew louder and faster, and suddenly their faces were lit up with all of the rapid colors. Sakura squeezed her hand tighter, and Corrin felt her mouth fall open as she watched. She thought she must have looked very silly, staring up at the sky open-mouthed and starry eyed.

The last firework went off, and she recognized that it was in the shape of a sakura tree.

“How did they do that?” she asked breathlessly. “How did they make it take shape like that?”

“You know, I’m not sure,” Hinoka said. “I never really thought about it. But how did you like it, Corrin?”

“It was unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” she said, awestruck. “I can’t believe I’ve gone so many years without knowing any of this existed.”

Hinoka patted her on the back. “You’re gonna see that and a lot more with us. Just you wait.”

Corrin couldn’t help but smile the entire way home.

-

Before they even reached the main gate, Corrin knew something was wrong.

Corrin was ripped away from Sakura the moment she was met with the guards. The man who had grabbed her—wearing similar garb to what she’d often seen Kaze in—gripped her so tightly that she could almost feel her skin bruise.

“Saizo, what is the meaning of this?” Ryoma demanded, his arms crossed over his chest.

“Milord,” Saizo said, bowing his head in respect. “Tonight, while you were away, someone was killed. _She_ is our only suspect.”

“What?” Corrin asked. Her heart seemed to stop beating entirely.

Ryoma’s eyes darkened and he stepped forward. He said only one word, but it sent chills down her spine.

“Who?”

“Yukimura, sir.”

“And what of Mother?”

“She is being constantly guarded, milord.”

Ryoma’s eyes slid to Corrin, pinning her to the spot. She stared right back, knowing that she had not done this. She had nothing to fear.

“What do you say about these accusations, Corrin?”

She shook her head. “I was not at the castle. The only weapons I’ve been allowed to use are the training swords with Hinoka. Not to mention I spent the entire day in her care.”

“S-she’s right,” Sakura spoke up. Multiple people whirled around to look at her, and she seemed to shrink. “C-Corrin c-couldn’t have…”

“Take us to the scene, Saizo,” Kamui said, pushing his way forward. “The rest of you return to your rooms. I will get to the bottom of this.”

“I’m coming with you,” Ryoma said.

“No,” Kamui replied firmly. “You need to find mother and be certain she is safe. We all pair off, spend the night in one another’s rooms, which will be guarded heavily tonight. I will get to the bottom of this and prove Corrin’s innocence.”

Ryoma leveled his gaze at Kamui. The exchange lasted only a few moments, but Ryoma eventually backed down.

“Can you let go of me?” Corrin asked, trying to tug her arm away. The ninja stared at her, glaring with one eye.

“No,” he said, and began dragging her along.

Kamui rested a hand on her shoulder. “Let her go, Saizo. You’ve no reason to treat her like this.”

“It was her sword that slaughtered Yukimura. I have every reason.”

Corrin’s blood ran cold.

“What?” she asked, feeling as though she was suffocating. “Ganglari…?”

She stopped in her tracks, the full weight of the situation hitting her.

Father had given her that sword.

Father had sent her to the Hoshidan border.

Father.

She glanced back at her siblings behind her, judging their expressions. Confusion, concern, and—pure wrath. Takumi was glowering at her. She turned back to Saizo.

“Take me there,” she said softly. “Now.”

When they arrived at the scene, the scent of blood hit her nose immediately. They hadn’t had time to clean up the body.

Before coming to Hoshido, Corrin had never seen anyone die before. She had been accustomed to the concept of death, having been her father’s daughter, but she had never truly witnessed it before her battle on the border. This, somehow, was much worse than that. It made her stomach clench and she could feel the food threaten to rise to her throat.

Whoever he was, he had been slaughtered.

Corrin pushed past her nausea, then stepped fully inside the room, her heart racing. Her eyes avoided the body and she locked on to Ganglari, which rested peacefully on a table in the middle of the room.

Saizo had been right. She had done this. She had not delivered the killing blow, but she had brought the sword to their doorstep.

“Stay outside,” she said. She’d never heard herself sound so serious, so devoid of feeling.

“Corrin, what’s happening?” Kamui asked. Strangely enough, he sounded neutral. No animosity, no underlying malice, just an unsurmountable calm.

“That sword,” she said softly. “It was given to me by my father days before I set out for the border. It…it was filled with dark energy. It made me angry, made me do things I wouldn’t have done otherwise. I need to destroy it, but I can’t risk either of you being in here with me.”

“You think we can trust you?” Saizo said harshly. “That’s destroying evidence.”

“No,” Corrin said. “I can’t make you trust me. But we don’t have time to argue, and I’m not letting either of you be killed because of your bias.”

There were dragon veins all throughout the castle. They were faint, but they were there. Corrin reached for their power and held her hand out towards the two men behind her. With a flash of blinding light, she threw a gust of wind at them, throwing them back out into the hallway. She used her power to slam the door shut, lock it, then cover it with vines.

Kamui was immediately pounding on the door. She didn’t have time—he could use dragon veins as well. He could undo all she’d done in the matter of moments. She needed to destroy the sword, and quickly.

Corrin walked to the sword, and for once in her life, her thoughts were silent. She knew what she had to do. She held the weapon in both of her hands, and she felt it’s power reach up to choke her. She resisted, but it was stronger than she was. The darkness made its way up her arms, wrapping its way around until it curved around her throat.

**_You thought you could do this alone?_** It laughed. **_You’re pathetic, Hoshidan Princess._**

Her hand tightened on the hilt. So, this was what the sword had been hiding from her. Father had said that it was crafted by ancient magics, and now she truly understood what that meant. It wasn’t just ancient -- dark, forbidden magic created this weapon. Something that should have been buried long before this ever happened.

**_Do you truly think you can destroy me? How disappointing. You do know why King Garon sent you here? It wasn’t to play nice with your family._ **

She kept her thoughts empty. She couldn’t feed it, even though it was choking her, suffocating her. It squeezed her throat tighter. She couldn’t breathe. Her eyes squeezed shut. 

**_You were sent here to start a war. To slaughter the Queen of Hoshido. Yet you let them take me. You abandoned the people who raised you. How could you?_ **

Something behind her shattered. The dark tendrils removed themselves from her throat, and she gasped, thankful for the air returning to her lungs.

The darkness was gone, yet it lingered. It was silent, yet she could feel it grinning.

“Lady Corrin!” A voice shouted. It wasn’t Kamui or Saizo.

“Kaze—” she grunted. The sword ripped itself from her hands and floated in front of them both.

**_If you refuse to do your job, I’ll just have to do it for you._ **

The sword shot towards Kaze. Corrin didn’t think. She screamed his name and sprinted towards him, pushing him out of the way before—

The sword pierced her. Her vision turned red. She vaguely registered that she was screaming, but it sounded so distant, like it was someone else.

**_Oh, how pitiful. You think this will stop me? All you’ve done is doomed yourself. Garon doesn’t care whether you live or die._ **

Corrin let out a scream and ripped the sword out of her. Blood splattered across the floor, and she knew she’d made a mistake. She was going to bleed out. She wouldn’t survive this.

But she’d make damn sure everyone else would.

She pressed her hand into the sword, smashing it into the ground. It felt like her hand, but it didn’t look like hers. It didn’t look human. It was silver, larger. Stronger. She couldn’t remember how it had gotten like that.

The sword cracked beneath the pressure.

**_You can’t do this!_** The darkness screamed. **_The Queen must die! Even if you prevent this, she will still perish under Nohrian hands!_**

“Not. Mine.” She growled before shattering it. She smashed her fist into it, breaking it into tiny pieces, making sure that nothing remained. Her hand broke the sword and the floor beneath it. She vaguely wondered how she wasn’t breaking every bone in her hand.

The darkness was gone. The sword turned to dust beneath her, and her hand shrunk back down to a normal size, turning pink once more. Her mind was foggy, but she was beginning to slowly recognize how much pain she was in. How much blood she had lost.

“Kaze,” she whispered. Her arms were shaking with the effort to hold herself up. “You are unhurt?”

“My lady,” he said, rushing to help her into a better position. Before she could really register what was happening, he had her leaning against a wall and was pressing something to her wound.

“Lady Corrin, you need to undo the dragon vein. You need medical attention—that is the fastest way to get it.”

His face was blurry. If she focused hard enough, she could see the worry in his gaze. Why was he worried? She had killed someone. She didn’t deserve pity. She wondered why he didn’t leave her here to die.

But she wasn’t foolish. She did not want to die. She summoned any strength she had and reversed the spell she’d cast. The vines withered away, and she heard the door unlock.

There was a commotion after that. She couldn’t focus on what anyone was saying, or who was in the room. She could only feel Kaze’s hands on her face, trying to keep her awake. It wasn’t easy, but she tried. Things were fading so fast. All she could hear was _Find Sakura._

Corrin reached out and touched Kaze’s cheek. He startled, and his attention focused back on her. She took her hand back, vaguely registering that she had left a smear of blood on his face.

“You’re worried,” she slurred. “You don’t need to worry about me. You’re safe. That’s what matters.”

“My lady, you must stay awake,” he pleaded. “Keep talking. Tell me a story.”

Her tongue felt heavy. Could she even think of a story?

“When I first saw you…I thought you were very handsome. Your voice was very nice. I thought…it was because you were the first man I’d met…but I don’t think so now. I’ve met a lot of men now. You’re just very pretty.”

She couldn’t gauge his reaction. She let her head fall to the side, unable to find the strength to keep it up.

“Then I saw your whole face. Your mouth is…real nice. I’m sorry I let you down. I didn’t mean to kill him. I didn’t kill him. The sword did. Which means I did. When I saved you both that day, I knew I’d done the right thing. You were only trying to save your friend. I’d hoped that…maybe we could be friends one day, too.”  

She closed her eyes. She heard him talking, trying to get her to stay awake, but she couldn’t do it any more. She thought that, if she ever woke up, that was just one more thing she’d have to apologize for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aahh, thank you all so much for your support! Sorry for the extra long chapter! I look forward to reading your comments so much--you're all so sweet! Soon our Hoshido chapters will be coming to an end - please look forward to it!
> 
> Follow me at @thelegendofivalice on tumblr if you want to see ramble about the fic there! (And I do a lot! The link is thelegendofivalice.tumblr.com/tagged/shades-of-gray !)


	9. The Fire Within

8

Corrin had been missing for over two weeks, and Camilla was angry.

Angry didn’t seem to cut it. She was frustrated, concerned, nervous. Her fear and anger had started out small, like a burning ember. When reports had come back saying that the fort had been destroyed with no bodies left, it grew into a flame.

She had petitioned Father to let her search for Corrin personally. Had gone down on one knee and begged him. She needed to know the fate of her little sister. Every day she was missing sent her spiraling further and further down a path she wasn’t sure she wanted to walk down.

He snapped at her and told her that she had better things to do than worry over a failed mission.

That’s when she grew angry.

He thought of Corrin as nothing more as a part of a conquest. A puzzle piece to fit the picture of his growing world.

She couldn’t stand for it.

Elise hadn’t stopped crying since she heard the news. She had locked herself in her room that first day, and not even her retainers had been allowed entry. She had made no trips outside of the castle, no effort to come out and eat. Effie had to break the lock on her door to make sure she wouldn’t waste away.

Leo had thrown himself into his studies. He always did when he felt like he’d done something wrong. Like he needed to be stronger. She couldn’t help but notice the amount of crumpled papers piling up in the trash, or the string of curses she would hear when she passed by his room. She’d often go in and make sure he was eating properly, but he only ever shrunk back into his shell.

Xander seemed to be unfazed. That, perhaps, was one of the biggest reasons she was so upset. Father had always been cold, but Xander wasn’t. More often than not lately, he seemed content on walking in Father’s footsteps, to lay at his feet like a lapdog. The Xander she had grown up with used to have thoughts and feelings—the man he had become had found ways to conceal all of that. Their family was falling apart by the seams, and he stood by and watched. Quietly, as though he were an outsider.

If she didn’t think Corrin was lying dead in a Hoshidan morgue, perhaps she would have had the finer sense to think that he was trying to act strong for them. Instead, his indifference only fanned the flame.

Camilla brought her axe down on another striking dummy. It shattered beneath the weight of the blow, and debris scattered across the room, bouncing harmlessly against her armor. The sound helped quell her wrath, but only momentarily. When it was quiet again, her thoughts came roaring back, making her feel worse.

Corrin was dead, and she had done nothing to stop it. No one had done anything.

_How could they?_

“Another,” she barked, turning her head toward Beruka.

Beruka stared at her blankly, a familiar indifference in her frown. “There are none.”

Camilla looked at the carnage she had wrought. All of the striking dummies were nothing more than splintered wood at her feet. She closed her eyes and blew out a sigh.

“Be a dear and order some more for me, will you?” she asked. “I’m going to check up on Elise.”

“Hold off for a moment, will you, sister?”

Camilla’s head snapped toward the voice. Leo stood at the exit, leveling her with his stare. How strange of him to come searching for her. She hooked her axe to its proper place at her hip and made her way toward him.

“What can I do for you, brother?”

“Come, take a walk with me. I’ve something I need to speak with you about.”

She heard one of her retainers—more than likely Selena—approach as he mentioned leaving. His gaze flickered to her.

“Alone.”

Camilla turned her head. “I’ll be back, dear. Help Beruka order more training dummies. We both know how much trouble she can get in with that silver tongue of hers.”

“Of course, Lady Camilla,” Selena said. She shot Leo a confused stare before making her way back to Beruka. Camilla smiled, though there was very little happiness in it.

“Such a cutie. She worries too much,” Camilla said with a wave of her hand. “But come, let us talk. I’ve been meaning to catch up with you.”

“So have I,” Leo replied. They made their way through the castle halls, barely a word spoken between them. The more they walked, the more Camilla understood that this was not a normal social call. It was normal for Leo to ask her to come away from her retainers – she had a suspicion he didn’t like Selena much – but to go this far, leading her all the way outside? That wasn’t typical of him.

Leo did not stop until they were far enough away from the castle to be unheard. To make matters even more interesting, she watched as he held up a hand to activate a dragon vein.

“We cannot be overheard,” he said simply. She got his meaning. Only the two of them would be listening in.

Camilla crossed her arms. “What’s happening?” she asked flatly.

Leo stared at her, his eyes dark. “I overheard something. Something I shouldn’t have. This must stay between us, sister.”

Camilla would have understood if he had purposefully left Elise in the dark—but Xander as well? The revelation made her anxious.

“Corrin’s mission was a failure,” Leo said. Camilla nodded.

“I gathered as much.”

“Not just in the ways we assumed. I heard Father speaking with Iago. She was not sent to capture a measly Hoshidan fort. She was sent to assassinate the Queen.”

Camilla froze, her jaw set in anger. “No. Father wouldn’t send Corrin on such a high-profile mission. He would have sent one of us.”

Leo shook his head. “Think on this, sister—what better an assassin than one who doesn’t know their target? Corrin knew as much as we did. That sword he gave her, it was created for that mission. The worst part is…I don’t think Corrin was supposed to make it out alive.”

Camilla’s hands balled into fists. He said Corrin knew as much as they did—which was nothing. And that sword…she’d heard reports of Corrin acting strange after she’d gotten it. She had assumed it had the same power as Brynhildr or Siegfried, but could it be something darker than that?

“You said her mission failed. Does that mean she’s alive?” she dared to ask.

Leo’s lips formed a line. “She was.”

“She was,” Camilla echoed, mad for getting her hopes up.

Leo let out a frustrated sigh. “From what I gathered, Corrin survived the attack at the fort and was taken to Hoshido. She let the sword be taken by the Hoshidans, which threw his plans off. He got tired of waiting for her to retrieve it and decided to set his plans into motion without her. Just as he was set to destroy the castle and everyone in it, Corrin figured it out. She shattered Ganglari before it could kill more than one.”

“So, she’s alive?” Camilla asked again. She desperately needed to know—she wanted any sign that Corrin still lived.  

Leo looked away, his gaze darkening. “It dealt her a fatal wound. She saved someone’s life, at the loss of her own.”

Camilla’s blood ran cold. Her own father had orchestrated the death of her sister. How was she supposed to react to that?

“Camilla, he’s going to start a war,” Leo said quietly. “He plans on using Corrin’s death as an excuse to invade Hoshido.”

Camilla felt her world spinning on its axis. This couldn’t be right. Father was never like this. When she was younger, he would—

“Leo,” she started, but he held up a hand.

“We’re not alone anymore,” he said. He glanced behind himself and shot a string of magic toward the bushes. There was a rustling sound, and a figure rolled out from it, shouting a line of profanities.

“Who’s there?!” he yelled.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” came a familiar voice. “Ooh, I’m gonna be feeling that for days.”

Leo recognized the voice first. “Felicia?”

“Yes, hi,” the maid said, pushing herself up and dusting herself off. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I just noticed the barrier and thought I’d find someone familiar. The guards wouldn’t let me in, so I had to come in through a hole in the wall. I’m really glad I found you, though—I have news.”

Camilla shot Leo a look. Something about this was off. He met her gaze and crossed his arms.

“What are you talking about, Felicia? You shouldn’t be able to sense the barrier,” Leo said.

“And we closed the hole in the wall years ago,” Camilla added.  

Felicia nodded her head, looking sheepish. “W-well…your highness, I come from a line of very strong magic users. Not to mention my training kinda requires me to be able to scout this stuff out. I didn’t know who casted the spell, but I knew it was here. I was just praying it wasn’t Iago!”

She fidgeted, looking uncomfortable. By all accounts, this woman looked and acted like Felicia, but there was no way she could be in Nohr.

“A-and, yes, I think you did close the wall, but Jakob and I make sure we know all of the escape routes in case anything should happen to Lady Corrin, and—"

“Based on all reports, you should be dead, Felicia,” Camilla interrupted, changing the subject. “How are you here?”

Felicia looked at her oddly. “Pegasus Knights. Someone in Nohr needed to know of Lady Corrin’s fate. I should have come sooner, but…there was no good time. I almost got shot down multiple times! I should have come on horseback, but it would have taken too long.”

Though Camilla still had her suspicions, by all accounts, this was Felicia. She was dressed in Hoshidan garb, but she spoke and acted exactly like the ice tribe maiden. Even someone like Iago couldn’t go so far as to perfectly imitate someone as strange as she was.

“Go on,” Camilla commanded.

Felicia’s features went from concerned to nervous in the matter of seconds. “I’m going to assume you already know what happened at the Fort, so I’ll just skip over that. What you need to know is that Lady Corrin has fallen to her own weapon. When I left Hoshido, she was still alive and being constantly tended to.”

Both Camilla and Leo relaxed immediately. They exchanged a look, and Camilla saw hope burning brightly in her brother’s eyes. They weren’t free yet—their sister was still grievously injured, but she wasn’t dead. If Camilla were anyone else, she might have started crying with relief right then and there.

Felicia fumbled over her next words. “She’s been conscious once or twice since the attack. Each time I’ve been there, and she…she wouldn’t stop talking about all of you. She begged someone to tell you what happened in case she died. Her choice to remain for a week in Hoshido after her failure at the Bottomless Canyon weighed heavily on her mind, but…so much happened during our first day that she had her reservations about coming back. Ooh, this all sounded so much better when she said it.”

“Reservations?” Camilla asked cautiously.

Felicia straightened her shoulders and looked at Leo, then at Camilla. She was still nervous, but more determined now.

“Yes. Not only did they save our lives at the canyon, but…we learned that Corrin…well, her birth family lives in Hoshido. Queen Mikoto is her mother—she isn’t King Garon’s daughter.”

“What are you saying?” Leo asked, his voice harsh. Felicia flinched.

Camilla raised a perfectly crafted brow. “Is that what they said to convince you both to stay?”

Felicia’s eyes widened in shock. Clearly, that hadn’t been the reaction she’d been expecting.  

“That explains it,” Camilla said. “They’ve brainwashed her. Not only have they stolen a Princess of Nohr, but they’ve fed her lies and slander. This cannot continue.” She turned on her heel, fully ready to storm into the throne room and give her approval for invading Hoshido.

“No, wait! Lady Camilla!” Felicia said, stumbling forward and grabbing onto Camilla’s armor. “No, you don’t understand. It cannot be a coincidence. Lady Corrin has a twin.”

“A _twin?”_ Camilla asked. “Let me guess, they’re fraternal. They look absolutely nothing alike. Felicia, how could you be so easily fooled? This is all a ploy to make Corrin sympathize with the Hoshidans.”

“No,” Felicia continued. “No, they look the same, my lady. “He is a man, but…they share the same features. You can’t deny it once you see them together.”

“Sister…” Leo warned. “The spell. She isn’t lying.”

Camilla’s fists clenched at her sides. No, she couldn’t let herself think for even a second that Corrin was not her sister. She couldn’t entertain the thought.

Camilla let out a breath. The fire inside of her, it had grown into an inferno. She was quiet as she spoke, but the rancor in her voice hit harder than volume ever could have.

“Felicia. Return to Hoshido. I will tell my family that Corrin is alive. You can tell Hoshido to expect a war at their doorstep if my sister is not returned within the week.”

“L-Lady Camilla…” Felicia stammered. Camilla wrenched her arm from Felicia’s grasp and walked back toward the castle, anger coming off of her in waves.

Oh, how they would pay for brainwashing her sister. This fire within her, it would burn them alive, and she would do nothing to stop it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am SO sorry for the wait! I got into a very serious car accident that injured my wrist, so I couldn't even consider typing anything up for a while. A short chapter for now, but expect a long one next time. Thank you for your patience!! 
> 
> Follow me at thelegendofivalice.tumblr.com for updates!


	10. Support

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corrin wakes up.

9

Corrin was stirred awake to the sound of snoring.

It was light, and not overly obtrusive. She couldn’t even truly admit that it was the reason she woke up; it was only the first thing she noticed as her eyes fluttered open. She tried to move her head to see where it was coming from and was met with a sharp pain in her abdomen. She grit her teeth to keep from crying out.

It felt like she got run over by a carriage. Her memory was hazy, but she could piece together fragments of what had happened. She remembered the Sakura festival, the flowers and the fireworks. She remembered returning to the castle and the news of the murder. The last thing she could recall was shattering Ganglari.

 Bracing herself against the pain, she sucked in a deep breath and turned her head to the side. There sat Sakura, with her arms on the bed, snoring away and getting a little drool on herself. Corrin was conflicted at the sight. She was upset that her sister hadn’t made it to her own room to rest, but she was grateful that she’d had such a dedicated healer.

“You’re awake,” a voice said, startling her. Her eyes found the source, and she immediately calmed. Kaze stood up and made his way to her bedside—as close as he could get without bothering Sakura.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, pressing the back of his hand to her forehead. If it weren’t for the unrelenting pain in her abdomen, she might have felt very much like a child with a fever.

“Bad,” she admitted. “But I’m alive. I can’t ask for much else.”

Kaze’s face softened. He opened his mouth like he was about to say something, then he turned his head away. Corrin closed her eyes, letting his reaction to that sink in.

“I’m…I’m in a lot of trouble, aren’t I?” she asked, whispering. “It’s my fault that man is dead. My sword killed him.”

“What? No, my lady,” Kaze said. “Everyone is in agreement that you are not at fault. The blame falls upon King Garon.”

Corrin’s heart restricted. Hearing his name aloud felt like it hurt more than her injury did.

Sakura stirred, which halted any conversation they were having. Kaze took a respectful step back as the youngest princess stretched her arms out in front of her and let out a yawn.

“O-oh! Corrin!” she said once she noticed Corrin was awake. She jumped to her feet, blinking away her sleep and quickly wiped away any traces of drool.

“Y-you’re alive…” she said, her voice quavering. “Y-you were asleep for so long that I…”

“Don’t cry, Sakura,” Corrin said nervously. “I’m going to be fine now, thanks to you. How long have I been out?”

“A week,” Kaze said. “More or less.”

Corrin took in a deep breath, wincing as she did. Too much time had passed. She knew now that she couldn’t remain in Hoshido. She needed to return to Nohr and confront her father. To make sure something like this never happened again.

“Can you help me up?” she asked, holding her arm out. Sakura was quick to shake her head.

“Y-you can’t move around yet, Corrin. L-let us get you what you need.”

“No, please,” Corrin insisted. “I just need to sit up. I’ve been resting long enough.”

Sakura glanced up at Kaze worriedly, and he waited for her approval before he did anything. When she finally relented and stepped aside, he was nothing but gentle. He made the process much less painful than it might have been, even though it still felt like there was something gnawing on her insides. She thanked him as he returned to his original spot.

Sakura took her seat by Corrin’s bedside and folded her hands carefully over her lap. She turned her head and asked, “Kaze, will you p-please tell mother that Corrin has woken up? I-I’m sure they all want to know.”

Kaze placed a hand over his heart and bowed. “Of course, milady.”

Soon he was gone, and the two were left alone. Corrin leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. The light coming in from the window was giving her a headache.

“What has happened since the festival?” she asked. “I am listening, by the way. It’s just hard to keep my eyes open with how bright it is.”

“O-oh, I can fix that,” Sakura said, immediately climbing to her feet. Corrin wanted to protest, but the youngest princess was already bustling around.

“The castle has been in disarray,” Sakura admitted, taking her time with the curtains. Corrin quietly thought that Sakura enjoyed the distraction; it made it so she didn’t have to make eye contact. She seemed to stutter less as well, which was something Corrin realized with a twinge of concern.

“The first hour was the worst. You…had lost so much blood, w-we didn’t know if you would survive. There was so much yelling…and people trying to figure out who had killed Yukimura. We all knew it wasn’t you…not after you saved Kaze’s life.”

Sakura’s hands balled into fists as she closed the last curtain. Corrin could feel her anxiety, as strongly as if she were feeling it herself.

 “Y-you… _didn’t_ do this on purpose, r-right?”

Corrin was hurt that she was still suspected…but proud of Sakura for asking. It was a strange feeling. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she wiped them away before Sakura could see them.

“No,” she said, her voice coming out thick. “I had…no idea, Sakura. When I’d heard you’d confiscated Ganglari from me, I…I can’t even begin to explain how relieved I was. I knew there was something wrong with it, but it was a gift from my…father. I can’t…” she broke off, shaking her head. “In Nohr, you can’t say no to him. You just can’t. He told me nothing of his plans, but I understand now. He sent me here on purpose. Everything was staged. I just wish I had seen it sooner.”

Sakura spun around, more tears in her eyes. “I-I’m sorry, Corrin. T-Takumi wouldn’t s-stop saying you knew, and I…”

As they spilled from her cheeks, Corrin wanted nothing more than to walk over and dry her tears. But with the state she was in, she wouldn’t make it to the end of the bed without making her injury worse.

“I understand,” Corrin said, feeling helpless. “You don’t need to cry, Sakura. I don’t think I would trust me either.”

Sakura sniffled and swiped at her eyes, but Corrin could tell she was still upset. She managed a small smile, one that she hoped was comforting.

“You stayed by my bedside this whole time, haven’t you? I can’t even begin to express how grateful I am. You saved my life, Sakura. Even with your doubts about me.”

Sakura sits back down in the chair beside Corrin’s bed, keeping her head down, eyes focused on the blankets.

“I wasn’t the only one, you know. Kaze stayed with me, t-too. He had to politely push Hinoka and Felicia out daily.”

Knowing that Felicia remained by her side didn’t surprise her, but it did lift her spirits. Kaze, however, did surprise her—she had saved his life, but surely, he must have had other matters to attend to. No matter the reason, she was overwhelmingly appreciative.

“Speaking of Felicia, where is she?” Corrin asked. Even if Kaze had kept her out up until this point, Corrin didn’t think for a moment that her retainer wouldn’t come running back in once she learned of her awakening.

“W-well…” Sakura stammered. “I-I believe she journeyed to Nohr for you. T-to inform your Nohrian family that you were still alive.”

Corrin jolted forward, her fists gripping the sheets. Her wound roared in agony, but the sudden terror of knowing that Felicia was so close to King Garon without her protection terrified her much more than any pain she felt.

“What?” she panted. “Why?”

“P-please!” Sakura gasped, standing to push Corrin back against the wall. “Don’t push yourself. You could tear the edges of the wound. We c-can only heal so much with magic.”

“Sakura, please,” Corrin begged. “Felicia can’t go back alone. Please tell me she’s coming back.”

“I-I don’t know,” Sakura replied. “Y-you kept crying out for your Nohrian family. I-I think she was worried, a-and…”

Corrin grit her teeth. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember doing that, I…I don’t mean to upset you. King Garon is a terrifying man. I…” she looked away, unable to meet her sister’s gaze.

Suddenly her pain wasn’t just from her abdomen. Phantom aches from the scars on her back reminded her just how terrible her father could be.

The door opened, breaking the awkward silence that fell upon them. Corrin looked up to see Kamui, looking like he had sprinted the entire way to the room. His hair stuck up at strange angles and a bead of sweat dripped down his jawline.

“Brother,” Sakura said tentatively.

 His eyes landed on Corrin, and he looked relieved.

“Corrin,” he said, stepping forward.

Corrin gave him a slight nod. “Good morning,” she said weakly. “Or good evening. I’m not sure, really.”

He smiled and shook his head. “I’m so glad you’re awake,” he said earnestly.

He turned to Sakura. “Sister. I can take over your duties for now. I wish to speak with Corrin alone, and I’m certain you haven’t had a proper night’s sleep in days. Would you mind?”

Sakura’s eyes widened, as though she were just truly realizing how long it had been since she’d slept, not just napping by Corrin’s side.

“I-I…of course. That sounds nice. B-but please, if anything happens, please wake me.”

Kamui nods. “Without a doubt.”

For some reason, Corrin found that she was nervous to be in a room alone with Kamui. She had never spoken to him one-on-one, and the fact that he was choosing now to do so sat strangely with her. Of course, he could simply be worried for her and Sakura, but something about his expression and Sakura’s reaction told her otherwise.

Soon, Sakura had packed her things, and the two of them were alone. He sat down in the chair in front of her bed and smiled.

“I hate to start in on you when you’ve just woken up, but I have some questions. Are you lucid enough to answer?”

So, her suspicion had been correct. He wasn’t here to exchange pleasantries. She wasn’t entirely hurt, but she’d be lying to herself if she said it didn’t sting even a little.

“I am,” she responded. “I already told Sakura this, but…I didn’t know anything my Father had planned when you all found me at the Bottomless Canyon. My allies were—”

Kamui held up a hand and shook his head. “I’m not here to talk about that.”

Both of her brows raised. “Oh.”

“I know you’re innocent, Corrin. I’m not here to accuse you. But…I am worried. I’m very worried about what this event will bring from Nohr. Hoshido is content on grieving the loss of a dignitary and moving on, but this attack tells me that there will be more bloodshed. You prevented some of it, but a bigger storm is coming. I think you know that, too.”

Corrin swallowed a lump in her throat. Yes, she did know.

“I do,” she said, feeling a bit unsteady. “I do not know what Garon will do, but he won’t remain silent. My best guess is that he will attack, and very soon,” she said softly.

Kamui nodded. “I’ve come to that conclusion myself. Here is my real question, Corrin; if the time comes for you to choose, which side will you go to?”

Corrin choked up.

She hadn’t thought about it. Every time her mind wandered to that possibility, she’d shoved it away with a vengeance. She loved her Nohrian family more than anything, but…she could not stand by such cruelty, such anger, such pain. Hoshido had taught her that there was more to life beyond surviving day to day. Despite that, she longed for the people she’d met in Nohr. The man who sat on the throne— _he_ was the problem. Not Nohr as a whole.

She released a breath. “Kamui…I want to be honest with you. I don’t know. If I truly had a choice in the matter, I wouldn’t choose at all. I’d run, I’d make an army of my own. I’d fight against every injustice I’ve encountered. I’ve come to love everything about both Nohr and Hoshido. You may think me crazy, but…each side has something good about it, and each side has something bad. If I choose Hoshido, I only prove to Nohr that they are lesser. I will turn them into the beasts everyone in Hoshido thinks they are.

“But if I choose Nohr…Takumi will be right. I will have murdered a Hoshidan dignitary in the name of King Garon. I will be cutting the ties that I want nothing more than to forge. These past weeks I’ve learned more about familial love than I have ever known. My family in Nohr loves me, I have no doubt, but that does not change the fact that the man on that throne beat me. He hid me from the world, he trained me to be a weapon. Here I was so readily, unconditionally accepted. I can’t even begin to explain how that feels.

“I want…I want both sides to understand. I know I can’t prevent this war. It’s too late for that. But if Hoshido could unite with Nohr to remove Garon from the throne, I know we can emerge victorious. The world could change. But does Nohr know? Do they know the extent of his madness? How could they? And here’s the question that terrifies me the most; Am I the only Nohrian who feels this way? Do they crave war just as much as he does—or are they all too scared to defy him?”

She paused, choking on her own words. This was so hard—her chest felt so heavy. The way he looked at her, with pity shining in his eyes only made it worse.

“It seems you’ve put a lot of thought into this,” he said quietly. Truthfully, she hadn’t. Things had spun out of control so fast. Two weeks ago, she would have never considered siding with Hoshido.

“And to be honest, I think you’re right,” he continued. “You’ve seen both sides. You know the problem stems from King Garon. I can’t wholly understand—I’ve never stepped foot in Nohr. My choice is and always will be Hoshido. I’m very surprised you would have even considered siding with us. Your heart has always been in Nohr, even if you’ve been here. Don’t think we haven’t noticed.”

She nodded. She’d had many stories she’d wanted to tell about Nohr, but every time she’d stopped herself in fear. Her thoughtful pauses had been noticed, then.

“What do _you_ propose we do?” Kamui asked. She stared at him for a moment curiously. She had no idea what he meant.

“Corrin, I’m saying that I agree with your assessment. Choosing either side will damn us. So how do you plan to avoid choosing?”

She sucked in a deep breath and squeezed her eyes shut. How _did_ she want to avoid it? She opened her eyes again and stared at him, letting the moments tick by. Finally, it hit her.

“I cannot abandon my Nohrian siblings. Garon will to terrible things to them if I betray him because he knows how much they mean to me. Two of them can handle themselves, but…I cannot risk the other two getting hurt because of me. But I will not abandon you, either.

“I propose that I return to Nohr. My choice is neither Nohr or Hoshido—my choice is the death of Garon. If I can tear down that man’s throne under the pretense of loyalty, that will make is downfall all the better.”

Kamui stared at her, his eyes proud. They lit up in a way she wasn’t expecting.

“It will be hard, but I will keep in contact with Hoshido. You or Ryoma, preferably. Perhaps we can find a meeting place in the middle somehow. I will work towards gaining favor with my siblings. I already know where I can start. If we can convince even half of the royal families that this isn’t a war on territory, but on freedom, we stand a better chance of winning. But we need to make it clear to Hoshido that I am not forsaking their trust by returning.”

Kamui leaned back in his chair and ran a hand through his hair. “I think we can do that easily. I do have one request if we go through with this, if you’ll hear it.”

Corrin nodded. “Go ahead.”

“I can’t send you back alone. I want someone from Hoshido to go with you to help us keep in contact. Someone is bound to notice you sneaking off to send messages if you go alone.”

She pressed her lips together. It was a good idea in theory, but it could lead to something terrible. Just as she opened her mouth to say so, the door opened.

“I could not agree more,” Azura said softly. Kamui got up from his chair, looking at her with wide eyes. He cleared his throat.

“How long have you been there?”

Despite her eavesdropping, Azura did not dip her head in shame. “I’ve heard everything. My apologies.”

For some reason, Corrin was not upset that Azura had overheard them. If anything, her presence calmed her. As she stared at the songstress, she only felt a bit more determined.

Corrin patted her bed. “Come, let’s discuss it together. Lock the door this time. I’m…too tired for more surprises.”

Azura nodded. Once they were seated again, Corrin continued.

“I agree that I cannot go alone. But…if anyone goes with me, they need to know the extent of what’s happening in Nohr. Things work very differently there. I’m not even certain that I can convince anyone yet. I know that there are some genuinely bad people in Nohr. People who want this war. But I cannot live on knowing that I did not try to stop it.”

“How much support do you think you can garner?” he asked.

Corrin shook her head. “Until I start poking around, I don’t know. But there must be someone.”

She was beginning to grow weary. There was so much to do, but there was a strange fog in her mind that came along with the pain in her abdomen. She tried to shake it. If she was faltering now, she would have no chance later.

“I want to go with you,” Azura murmured. The twins looked at her in surprise, but neither outwardly protested.

“It was my home before Hoshido. It would not be suspicious if I returned with you—not overly. I was never favored in either court, but I should be recognizable.”

Corrin thought that it would be very difficult to forget someone like Azura. She shoved the thought from her mind. Another one came to her, though. The way Azura worded the sentence—if she thought too much on it, it did not seem like Azura thought she was born in Nohr. ‘ _My_ _home before Hoshido’._ Something about that seemed off.

“If you go, I’m going,” Kamui said. “That’s non-negotiable.”

Azura quirked a brow. “Won’t people think it strange that a prince of Hoshido is infiltrating Nohr? There’s a better chance you’ll be assassinated.”

Corrin nodded. “She has a point. I’m sure I can prevent it for a time, but…you’d need protection. Both of you.”

Kamui smiled. “A Prince of Hoshido? I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’d be going as Azura’s retainer. There are dragon veins in the Nohrian castle, correct?”

Corrin looked at him sideways. “I believe so, yes. I’ve only been there once.”

“I can cast a glamour, then. It won’t be an issue. Azura has very little practice when it comes to combat. I agree that sending her is the best choice, but I won’t be sending her into a warzone unarmed.”

Corrin noticed how fondly Azura looked at him. There was a small grin on her lips, and a touch of warmth in her cheeks.

“Having you both at my side will bring me comfort, I admit. But you both will need to put a lot of trust in my judgement if we all go. Not to mention the risks…are you both certain? I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you.”

Kamui reached out and held her hand. She was startled, but she didn’t pull back.

“Azura and I are both aware of the risks. We are not just worried about the war, Corrin—we are worried about you. Though we’ve been separated, you are still my twin sister. You’ve fought for Hoshido already—you’ve saved Hoshidan lives on multiple occasions. You’ve put your trust in us without a second thought. I think it’s time for us to return the favor.”

Corrin looked away from them, flustered. “I’m sorry. I cannot even begin to thank the two of you, truly.”

Azura shook her head. “There is no need. Thank _you_ for being so open minded about this, Corrin. I do not know how I would fare in your position. I could not fight against my siblings.”

Corrin placed a hand on her abdomen, directly over her wound. She had thought the same thing, once. If Garon’s sword had not almost taken two lives in her name, she isn’t sure that she would be so certain of his guilt.

The thought is strange to her now. How could she not have seen it before this? How had she even once thought that whipping a child was normal? How could she think that locking someone away in a tower was something a sane person could do?

Why had she let herself, Elise and Leo stay in that environment for so long? Had her inability to see the truth damned them? Would a Kingdom fall because of her?

Her heart constricted. She knew the blame was not only on her shoulders, but it felt like it. She swallowed back her anxiety and took in a shaky breath.

“There is one more person I wish to have come with me, but for now…I need to lay back down. I’ll give myself another day, then we must move. If Garon gets the upper hand, we don’t stand a chance.”

Kamui nodded, and Azura began moving off her bed. As they helped her lay back, she grabbed Kamui’s hand.

“Don’t tell anyone of our plans yet. Garon has eyes everywhere. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has spies in this castle. The less people who know, the better. Let me figure out a way to get the idea out quietly.”

The look on his face told her that he didn’t like the idea, but he nodded. “I’ll wait.”

“Thank you,” she said gratefully.

With her mind flooded with thoughts of Nohr and Hoshido, Corrin put her head back down on her pillow and attempted to get more rest. She was going to need it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting closer to the Nohrian arc! A few more things need to happen, and then the fun starts. Thanks so much for all of your support as always, and I hope you enjoy!


	11. A Prelude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corrin explains her plan to Queen Mikoto.

10

That night, Corrin dreamt.

It wasn’t a nightmare, or, at least, she didn’t consider it one.

She was standing in the middle of a battlefield. Azura stood stark at her side, grasping her hand with a determined strength. Kamui was with her as well, a golden weapon shining in his hand. Felicia stood behind her, lighting touching her shoulder. They all shared one thing in common; they were terrified.  

They stood between Nohr and Hoshido. Adrenaline ran high in Corrin’s veins, but somehow, she was able to stand tall. Confident. She knew what she was doing.

“Are you sure?” she asked both Azura and Kamui. She didn’t look at either of them, and instead kept her gaze firmly on Xander. Her eldest brother seemed to stare through her, peering into her soul. She was intimidated by his glare, but nothing, not even his judgement, could make her back down.

“More than ever,” Kamui muttered. He was focused on Ryoma.

This was where they would part ways. She knew not for how long, but she knew it to be true. She wanted to grab his hand and take him with her—he had become a very important piece of her life in just a few short weeks, and she hated the thought of leaving him. But he had to walk his own path, just as she had to walk hers. She would not forget that.

“Certainly,” Azura nodded, determined.

Kamui turned to look at Corrin. She met his gaze, and they both nodded.

He held out his sword to her.

“You’ll need this more than I will,” he said simply. She took it, though she had half a mind to protest. Before she could, he was making his way toward Ryoma. She dared to glance at Xander, and she saw his eyes darken.

Corrin squeezed Azura’s hand. “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “For making you leave him.”

Azura closed her eyes. “I will see him again.”

She sounded so certain that Corrin couldn’t help but believe her. She vowed then to do everything in her power to make sure they were united.

Corrin hooked the sword onto her hip and turned toward Xander.

“So, little princess,” Xander spoke, staring at her as if she had already betrayed him. “Will you be choosing Hoshido, or Nohr?”

As if there were ever a choice.

“Nohr.”

-

When Felicia returned to the castle a day later, Corrin knew she was out of time. She’d spent a good chunk of the afternoon calming her retainer, who had gone into full hysterics when she’s returned to Corrin’s side.  

The truth was, Corrin didn’t remember asking Felicia to return to Castle Krakenburg. She felt terrible that she was the cause of this. She must have been so worried about dying without her siblings knowing, even though she was out of her wits. She made certain to apologize and thank her retainer as much as she could.  

While they spoke, Corrin had been forcing herself to walk around. She was in no way shape or form ready to be moving, but she didn’t have much of a choice. Camilla wouldn’t wait until the end of the week to start her conquest. _Garon_ wouldn’t wait. She couldn’t remain stagnant anyway—she’d never heal without a little exercise.  

“Felicia, I hate to ask you something so soon upon you return, but I need you to request an audience with Queen Mikoto for me. I’d go myself, but I have something I need to do beforehand. Are you going to be okay?” she asked, more worried than she was willing to admit.

She’d never seen Felicia so torn up. As her retainer had sobbed into her arms, Corrin realized that being a native of the ice tribe back in Nohr, the one thing she feared the most was war. Being threatened to her face by one of the most prevalent Nohrian figures must have been terrifying. All Corrin could do was squeeze her arms and shoulder her pain.

“Of course,” Felicia said, standing a little bit taller. “How much time do you need?”

“I shouldn’t need more than an hour,” Corrin said after a moment of consideration. “Thank you.”

Felicia curtseyed—an old habit from her time as a maid—and pushed her way out of the room. Once she was out, Corrin pulled herself up, wincing at the ache in her core. Magic and salves had worked wonders on her injury, and where the wound had mostly closed, Sakura had told her that something was preventing full recovery. She would have to slowly heal on her own. Ganglari had been infused with powerful dark magics; it came as no surprise that it had left a mark.

Some bitter part of Corrin was fine with keeping the scar. It was not the first she had obtained from Garon, and she was beginning to think it would be nowhere near the last. It was a stark reminder of what she needed to do, and of what she risked losing if she didn’t fight back. She just wished it was healed already so she could go back to Nohr at full strength.

That day she had requested to be alone, and her siblings had been kind to oblige her. Hinoka kept her company all yesterday, and even Takumi had stopped by. He still looked at her like he had a bitter fruit in his mouth, but his expression had softened to something like pity.

She felt terrible that she couldn’t tell them what she was going to do. None of them deserved to be kept in the dark, but the less they knew, the safer they would be. She and Kamui had settled upon telling Ryoma and Mikoto. They’d empty the throne room, use a dragon vein to be sure of no intruders, and inform them of their plan.

However, there was one person, that Corrin had requested come with them. It felt like a betrayal to ask him and not her siblings, and yet…she had so many reasons to not involve them. She had gone over the risks of telling them so many times in her head, but she couldn’t justify it.

She had to admit it; her plan was flimsy. One wrong step and it would shatter in her hands and catch everyone in the blast. She was already risking Kamui and Azura, and she hated herself for it. The only reason she considered asking someone else is because out of them all, he had seen what Nohr could be like. He would be a stalwart ally.

She’d made her decision. Not everyone needed to like it. She’d resigned herself to that, even if it hurt her to think that way. She was never an ends-justifies-the-means type of person. It was dangerous and selfish.  

Corrin finally ripped herself from her thoughts and chastised herself for wasting time. She pulled herself to the door and opened it, finding the hallway relatively empty. She _had_ asked for privacy, but she knew that was hard to give, being a princess of Nohr.

“Kaze?” she called. She didn’t see him, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t there.

For a moment, she felt silly calling into the empty hallway. Then, she heard a soft thump beside her, and when she turned her head, Kaze was kneeling beside her, dressed in his ninja garb.

Though most of his features were covered by his mask, she could still see how exhausted he looked. His eyes had dark circles under them, as though he hadn’t gotten any sleep. The last she had seen of him had been two days ago. He’d looked tired then, even – had he not slept since then?

“My lady,” he replied.

She swallowed. She’d been running over how she was going to ask him for almost forty-eight hours now, but now that he was in front of her, it seemed impossible.

“I need to speak with you. Would you mind stepping in, or are you busy?”

Kaze’s eyes scanned the hallway, and when they landed back on her, he gave a subtle nod. “I have as much time as you need, Princess.”

She let him step inside and she closed the door behind him. She didn’t move away from it and instead leaned against it, finding that she was suddenly breathless. If standing this long tired her this much, her trip to Nohr would be agonizing.

“Sorry to interrupt your rounds,” she said softly. “But I have something important to ask. And what I say…it can’t leave this room.”

He remained silent and kept a steady gaze on her. Just when she began to feel anxious, he moved forward and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Come. I’ll help you sit.”

She was grateful for the help, but it also upset her. Her mind was in constant turmoil over her situation; she hated feeling useless. Xander, Camilla, Ryoma…none of them needed help like she did. She would always accept the help, but she couldn’t deny how bad it made her feel.

Kaze’s hand was warm on her back as he led her back to her bed. When she was finally able to sit down, she let out a sigh of relief. It hurt much less when she sat.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, glancing at the extra wraps Sakura had left on her side table. Corrin had basically forced her sister to take the day off to rest, as she hadn’t gotten any since the attack. She had left the bandages for another medic, but Corrin had turned them away. She hated to admit it, but she was too nervous to have anyone she didn’t know in her room, and she wasn’t that badly off to where she needed to be constantly monitored.

“I’ve been better,” she replied with a half-hearted chuckle. “But, I can get up and move now. The two of you really saved my life that day. I can’t even begin to express my gratitude.”

Kaze shook his head. “No. You saved me, my lady. I am in your debt.”

She thought about how he had been in her room all this time as well, right alongside Sakura, and shook her head.

“It’s been repaid in full. Sakura told me how you aided her with my recovery.”

She took a deep breath, ready to change the subject.  

“What I’m going to ask you…I don’t want you to think that you’re obligated to say yes. But even if you refuse, I need to know that you won’t tell anyone. At least, not for a while.”

He nods, and she sees a spark of…something in his eyes. She can’t tell what it is.

“If everything goes well, I will be returning to Nohr tomorrow morning. I don’t intend to go alone. Azura and Kamui will be joining me. We’ve gathered intel that King Garon intends to start a war on Hoshido, no matter if I return or not. Though I’ve lived there my entire life, I cannot stand senseless violence. I want to stop this war before it even begins, and I want to stop it at its heart. We intend to take down Garon.”

She continued, squeezing her eyes shut. She doesn’t want to see his expression yet. Even if she could only see his eyes, even that would be too much.

“But I know…he is powerful. And I cannot do it alone. Hoshido will need allies, and I intend to get them. I…want to formally request your aid in this endeavor. Everything I’ve seen of you until now shows me that you’d be a powerful ally. You’re silent, and strong. Your ability to move around without being seen will be invaluable in the coming days. I don’t want you to feel obligated, yet…we need your help, Kaze.”

She dared to look up at him, and she’s surprised at what she sees. He had removed the mask that covers the bottom half of his face, revealing the pure conflict on his features. He wasn’t looking at her, instead off to the side. If she didn’t know any better, she would think that he looked guilty.

She felt a surge of concern. She wanted to scoot forward and reach out. Surprise was better than worry. Just as she began to truly consider it, he finally looked at her, his features smoothing out into something else.

“I accept,” he said softly. Her eyes widened in surprise.

“Just like that?” she asked, incredulous. “Um, forgive me, I…thought you’d have questions, or…you would flat out deny, or…”

Kaze pulled up a chair and sat down in front of her. His features were calm and cool—amused, even.

“Forgive me, my lady. I understand that might come off as strange. Let me explain it like this. This was not the first time you’ve saved my life. You went out of your way to rescue me and Rinkah in Nohr far before you pushed me out of the way of that sword. Do not think of it as me feeling like I _need_ to return the favor, despite the fact that I do. Corrin, I think you’re a very honorable woman, and I, myself, am very honored that you would go out of your way to ask this of me.”

She was flattered, but something still felt off. “I’m sensing some hesitation.”

He paused, and she saw the same conflict as before. After a moment, it faded. “No, my lady. This is a matter I won’t hesitate on. I will accompany you.”

Relief flooded through her. She needed someone who could gather intelligence – no one in Nohr would trust Azura or Kamui, and even she would be under scrutiny. She’d seen how invisible Kaze could make himself. His help was crucial.

“Thank you,” she breathed.

He reached over and gently picked up the bandages left on her side table.

“On the condition that you let me rebandage you before you meet with Queen Mikoto,” he said.

She stiffened. Truly, that was something she could easily afford—she had a lot of time left before she had to go, which was not to mention the fact that Felicia had yet to even return to let her know if her audience was approved.

However, she was embarrassed. To have her wound treated meant she would have to remove her top. Kaze might have already seen her topless, as she was certain he’d been present during the entire healing process, but it didn’t lessen her embarrassment. She had been asleep at the time, so it was easy to ignore.

She had a bra on, but it wasn’t overly fancy. She was overthinking it; he only wanted to check her wound, not gawk at her breasts. She didn’t take him for that kind of man anyway.

“I’d, um, need help removing my shirt,” she stammered.

Naga help her. She stuttered. She couldn’t believe herself. How had this gone from her asking for his help, to him undressing her?

He smiled at her, and her heart did a flip. She thought back to the day she first met him in the woods and cursed herself for ever thinking about how handsome he was. It was like she’d thought her attraction into existence.

“That will not be a problem, my lady,” he said. He was right. He eased her out of her shirt very slowly, going one arm at a time so she didn’t need to lift them over her head. It was definitely not romantic—at least, not in the ways she had read about in some of Camilla’s novels. It broke her out of the delusion that he was doing this out of any other reason than concern, if nothing else.

Kaze was the epitome of a gentleman. He carefully removed and replaced her bandages without staring or saying anything either than a few words of concern. Corrin found herself relaxed, even as his fingers brushed over a particularly sensitive part of her injury.

She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and frowned. She had done her best to avoid looking at the extent of the damage, but she had no choice with the way the mirror was positioned in the room. The injury was clearly healing, but instead of being pink around the edges, it shone an eerie black. It wasn’t purpling like a bruise; it was a black that spiderwebbed around her abdomen, starting at her core. She remembered the darkness that had emitted from Ganglari and knew that it was the cause.

She was glad when Kaze finished re-bandaging her, but the sight of the injury was burned into her mind. It wasn’t normal, and she was terrified. She was almost happy to return to Nohr, so that she could hunt down her brother and beg him to help her. Sakura was all about purifying the wound, but perhaps she needed someone who was knowledgeable about curses. Leo was her best bet.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to thank him, Felicia stepped through the door. She looked chipper, but when her eyes landed on the scene in front of her and her expression changed.

“What are you doing to Lady Corrin?!” she yelled, grabbing a hold of a pillow and rushing over to smack him with it.

“Felicia!” Corrin shouted as she watched Kaze put his arms up to guard himself from her attack. Despite her protests, her retainer did not stop whacking him. Feathers were beginning to blow around the room from the sheer force she was using to beat him with.

“She—is a Princess—of NOHR!” Felicia screeched, pausing between each attack. “You can’t see her in such a state!”

“FELICIA!” Corrin exclaimed, scrambling to her feet and grabbing her retainer’s hands.

“My lady!” Felicia struggled against her, but not enough to throw her around anywhere.

“He was helping me prepare for my meeting with the Queen,” she explained. “By changing my bandages.”

Felicia’s shoulders dropped, and she stared at her, aghast. “But… _I_ could have done that, or—”

“Felicia, he offered. You’ve been doing far too much for me lately. He was just trying to help.”

Her retainer looked between them both, and when her eyes landed on Kaze, her brows furrowed. Corrin turned to look at him, only to find him covering his mouth with his hand.

“Don’t you laugh!” Felicia huffed. “I thought you were being…indecent!”

Kaze shook his head, sending a feather floating down from his hair and onto his lap. “I understand, Lady Felicia. I was merely counting myself lucky that you came at me with a pillow and not a knife.”

His admission sent Corrin into a fit of giggles, which quickly landed her back on her bed with an arm over her stomach. He’d looked so happy as he’d stared up at them with a smile on his lips and feathers in his hair. Soon they were all laughing, and Felicia reluctantly let go of the pillow.

“Well, the good news is that you have a meeting with the Queen, my lady. The bad news is that I just destroyed this.”

Corrin smiled. “That is some of the best bad news you could have given me. Now, we should get moving. I’d rather not keep the Queen waiting.”

Kaze stood and stepped aside so that Felicia could help Corrin with her shirt.

“I will fetch someone to pick up the mess,” he said, heading toward the door.

“Wait,” Corrin said quickly. “Will you come with us? To meet with Queen Mikoto?”

Kaze slipped his mask back up over his nose and nodded once.

“I will meet you there.”

-

Corrin’s heart twisted in her chest when she stood in front of Queen Mikoto. She had been mentally rehearsing what she would say to the woman to possibly convince her, but the moment she entered the throne room, everything she’d thought of disappeared. When she spotted Ryoma standing next to her, arms crossed, her nervousness only deepened.  

Ryoma had given her the impression that he deeply cared for his family and country. He wasn’t as separated from the rest as Xander was—Ryoma personally involved himself in the affairs of everything he could. If no one else, he would push against her plan. He had every right to, but the thought didn’t sit well with her regardless.

To be entirely honest, Corrin wasn’t entirely sure why Kamui had agreed to all this. There must have been many factors, certainly—but surely, convincing Azura to stay in Hoshido wouldn’t be much of a feat, would it? She seemed to be his deciding factor.

Kamui and Azura entered the room soon after she did, which promptly dragged her from her thoughts. Kaze was nowhere to be seen, but she had a feeling he was there as well. She decided now was the best time to start.

“Forgive me, my Queen,” Corrin started, bowing her head respectfully. She still couldn’t convince herself to call this woman ‘Mother’. “I would bow properly if my injury allowed it.”

Queen Mikoto shook her head. “There is no need for such formality, my child. Your maid told me that this was meeting was urgent—urgent enough for us to seal off the throne room. What troubles you?”  

Corrin took in a deep breath.

“Following the death of the fallen dignitary, I sent my retainer to Nohr to inform my adopted siblings of my plight; the fact that I had been injured, but I was still alive. My intention in sending her was to clear any air between the nations—to reaffirm that Hoshido did not steal me away or bring me harm. King Garon has been itching to start a war for some time now, and even in my disillusioned state did I think that he may enact on that urge had too much time passed without word from me.

“However, the meeting did not go as planned. It has come to our attention that if I am not returned in the coming week, Nohr will take it as a personal offence and will attack Hoshido. As such, I’ve decided to return for the sake of both nations.”

“A wise choice,” Queen Mikoto said, her voice solemn and eyes conflicted. “Not an easy one to make, I daresay.”

Her eyes swept the room, taking in the rest of Corrin’s party. “And the rest of your audience?”

Corrin swallowed, suddenly uncertain, but before she could answer, Azura’s voice rang out.

“If you would allow it, Your Majesty, I would accompany Corrin. I have always been curious to see my birthplace, though I do not consider it a home.”

Kamui went next, sounding confident. “Seeing as how Azura cannot defend herself should anything happen, I plan on following her. We are all in agreement that Nohrian hospitality can be unpredictable at best, and if I glamour myself as Azura’s retainer, there will be no issue with my presence.”

Ryoma’s brows furrowed. “You all think it wise to risk three members of Hoshidan royalty to enter enemy territory?”

Corrin bit her lip, but she couldn’t hold herself back. “One member,” she said. “I was raised Nohrian. Azura is of Nohrian blood. Kamui is the only true Hoshidan royal. While I understand the risks, I believe it will be safer for all of us if Kamui joins the venture. There are so many dangers in walking the road to Castle Krakenburg. Though I trust Felicia with my life—if only the two of us go, it could easily be one against an entire gang of bandits. I can hardly count myself battle worthy. I’m even having a hard time standing.”

She was telling the truth. Even with Felicia holding her upright, her legs wobbled beneath her. She would need more time to recover if she wanted to safely traverse Nohr—time she didn’t have.

“If I don’t go, we risk starting a war. I cannot bring death to thousands of Hoshidans simply because I wish to stay here. If I go alone, I could die on the road. The same outcome.”

Mikoto stood from her seat on the throne, looking eerily calm. Regal. Like a true ruler should look.

“Corrin, have you considered that war may break out whether you return to Nohr or not?”

Of course she had. But hearing the words out loud broke her heart. For the past twenty years, she had been fooling herself into thinking her father was not the bloodthirsty, abusive man that he was, while all of Hoshido saw the truth.

It hurt, to say the least.

“Yes, my Queen. I have. Non-stop for the past week. Which is another reason I plan to venture in with allies.”

Corrin looked around, and right at that moment she felt a new hand on her back. Kaze stood directly at her side, helping Felicia keep her level.

It was a strange thing, feeling so supported by others. She’d always had the support of her siblings in Nohr, but that had been unconditional. They had been family, so of course they’d help her. The people that stood by her now—Felicia, Kaze, Kamui, Azura—they had no reason to stand by her side. It made her happy, but on the same note, it confused her. She wanted to ask _why_ they were there, risking their lives for her.

War was a pretty big reason to stick your neck out, she supposed. Yet, some small part of her yearned to believe that they wanted to be here, and not because they risked dying if they didn’t.

 “I’m not certain if you can understand my reasoning,” she started, more sure of herself now. “But I have lived under King Garon’s rule all of my life. I thought that the things he did was normal. I spent my life making excuses for him. ‘ _Maybe I was too weak to leave the tower’,_ or ‘ _he’s only doing it to keep me safe.’_ Then I came here, and I realized…that someone who truly loves you does not keep you hidden from the world.  

“And I realized that…where my siblings in Nohr did everything they could, they could not stop him from beating me to within an inch of my life. They could not stop King Garon from killing my true father. They could not stop… _this._ The death of a Hoshidan dignitary, or the tragedy at the bottomless canyon. But the fact that they tried, every time, despite the consequences tells me that there is still good in them. Call me foolish, but I will not abandon those who tried to save me.

“If King Garon starts a war against Hoshido, know that I will do everything in my power to help Hoshido win, but I cannot do that by staying here. If I remain in Hoshido, everything and everyone I’ve ever loved will perish at my hand. I cannot—I _won’t—_ let that happen. I will tear myself apart from the inside out before I let harm come to the people I care for.”  

The sudden quiet suffocated her. She stood before Queen Mikoto’s judgement, and she feared that her plan would fail before it even got started. Corrin was hardly breathing.

“Well said, my child,” Queen Mikoto said with a light smile. Corrin’s heart hurt—King Garon had never smiled at her like that. She wasn’t sure if he had ever smiled at her or her family at all, and that seemed to hurt even more.

“Though I would like to say, Corrin, that you were always allowed to return to Nohr. You were never our prisoner. I would love for you to stay here, more than anything. Yet I realize that wouldn’t be the case. Your love for Nohr is perhaps the only thing that can save it.”

She looks toward Azura and Kamui, her expression gentle. “I’m glad you would accompany her. In the coming days, she will need all the support she can get. Please, watch over her and be careful. We need you alive and whole. Do not play the role of a hero should the need arise. If you are attacked, make sure you get away. No sacrifices.”

Kamui and Azura nodded, both looking up at her fondly.

“We will gather the supplies, and you should be ready to leave by this evening at the earliest. Time is of the essence, and where I would prefer you to rest one more evening here, I know you would refuse. For now, please rest, and I will send someone to find you when we are ready.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Corrin said, bowing her head. Her mind was spinning. Had she truly said yes?  

“There is one more thing,” she added after a moment of thought. “My words today cannot leave this room. If King Garon learns of our plans, he will slaughter us. In Nohr, there is no hesitance to strike down traitors. I cannot assume Hoshido is an entirely safe haven—not after he infiltrated through Ganglari. That means…I would even keep this from my other siblings. Not the true extent of what I plan to do, anyway.”

Ryoma looked at her curiously. “What would you have us tell them, Corrin?”

She bit her bottom lip. It was difficult to think of exactly how it needed to be phrased.

“That after my injury, I knew I needed to return home. Azura wished to see where she was born, and Kamui refused to let her leave without him. As for Kaze…I’m not sure. I haven’t thought that far ahead.”

“If I do my job correctly, they shouldn’t notice I’m missing,” Kaze said, amused.

Corrin smiled briefly, but as she continued, it quickly faded. “They need to know of the potential war, but don’t let them know that I plan to betray Nohr. It puts too many people at risk.”

Ryoma nodded. “Understood.”

“I have one final request, if you will, My Queen,” Kaze said. Corrin shifted to look up at him.

Queen Mikoto nodded, urging him to speak.

“I would like to request that Corrin sit on the throne,” he said.

“Wait, what?” Corrin asked. “Why?”

Queen Mikoto looked surprised for a moment, but then her expression shifted to excitement.

“That is a wonderful idea, Kaze. I had planned to ask her sooner, but there never seemed to be a good time.”

“The Hoshidan Throne is an ancient relic,” Kaze explained. “It’s known to bring out the truth in people, to have them show their true form. If I am correct, it should reverse the curse on your wound, my lady.”

“There is a chance it will bring back any forgotten memories, Corrin,” Mikoto said eagerly. “Would you like to try?”

Corrin stared at the Hoshidan throne for a long moment, her mouth dry. For some reason, looking at it sent a shiver down her spine. A voice in the back of her head told her to refuse, but she couldn’t discern why.

A throbbing in her stomach reminded her that she needed to try. She would be of no help to anyone if she was cursed. She turned to Queen Mikoto and nodded once.

“Yes. I would like to try.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another thing that mildly bugged me is that they spent so much time explaining how good Hoshido is while never giving Nohr any spotlight. Of course you'd want to choose Hoshido! You'd feel like an asshole if you didn't! I know I've spent a lot of time going over just how pale Nohr is in comparison, but I plan to spend the next arc shining some light on what Nohr is and could have been. So we're definitely gonna stray around a little bit for the sake of developing the world a little - I hope that's okay! I still don't know how long this fic will be (I'm almost at 150 pages of my draft! That's crazy!) but I'm hoping you guys will stick around for it.   
> As always, thank you so much, and hope you enjoy!


	12. Dragons and Destruction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a lot of things happen at once.

11

Getting her properly seated on the throne was the most difficult part of the venture. Her injury had yet to fully heal despite the constant attention Sakura had given it, so her midsection was still incredibly sore. Felicia and Kaze guided her the entire way, which made it almost painless.

Once she was seated, she opened her mouth to thank them, but nothing came out. The world tilted around her and her body jolted back in shock. Suddenly, she wasn’t in Hoshido anymore.

She was in Nohr, and she was hiding from someone. Her body had shifted to that of a small child, making her that much more hidden from her pursuer. Her heart was filled with terror, her head filled with images of a sword piercing her father’s heart. She was trying not to cry, forcing herself to keep as quiet as she could so she wouldn’t be found.

A pair of hands found her, and she was dragged out of her hiding spot. Before she could scream, a hand covered her face, and her mind went black.  

The scene changed, and she was no longer on a darkened street, scared for her life. She was older now, perhaps a pre-teen. She walked along the wall that encompassed the Northern Fortress, her fingers tracing the cracks that lined it.

She heard a noise in the distance, and she startled. She wasn’t supposed to be out of her room. If someone found her like this, she’d—

Then, she was standing in front of a boy. He was around her age, with thick silver hair and tear-filled eyes. She bent down and held out her hand and asked, “Are you okay?”

The scene flashed. She was just getting pictures now, of times she met with this boy, all throughout her childhood. His name echoed in her mind, filling her chest with a warm, fuzzy feeling. His name was Silas, and he had been her only friend.

Another memory with him. He was sneaking her out of the Fortress walls, with the promise of a date. A simple picnic, but her heart raced from the idea of leaving. She _needed_ to see what was beyond this wall. They were just about to escape when—

Iago. He was there, yanking her away from him. Corrin remembered the sight of Silas dropping the picnic basket as soldiers surrounded him, grabbing his arms and pulling him away from her. She screamed and cried, begging Iago to let him go, but his hand only tightened on her arm, hard enough to leave bruises.

For a long moment, she was back in her own body. Silas’ name echoed in her mind, a painful, forgotten memory. Before she knew it, she was being swept away in the throne’s power once more, but her heart still longed for the friend she’d lost.

Corrin was a teenager now, and she’d decided to ask Gunter about Hoshido. Why were they fighting? Why did her siblings need to train so hard if they weren’t at war? Gunter was kind in his answer, but she hadn’t seen Hans slip out of the room.

He told the King of her traitorous thoughts, and as her punishment, Garon had her whipped by Gunter’s hand.

It was painful to watch. It was not the first time Gunter had been forced to hurt her, and it wouldn’t be the last. He did it the best way he could, she remembered—he used a different tip to make it hurt less.

These were memories. All these things had truly happened to her. Something had buried them in her mind, and if the first memory was any indication, it had been her own father. Or…the man she’d always thought was her father.

 It didn’t stop there, either—she began to remember her Hoshidan family. She remembered sobbing her heart out at the Northern Fortress for a loss she couldn’t remember. She would look upon Xander and start screaming, reminded of Ryoma despite having her memory of him erased. Garon had to wipe her memory three times before she truly forgot everything.

She was back in her own body. She was bent over, her injury be damned, and she was sobbing. Uncontrollable cries wracked her form, and she couldn’t stop it.

Felicia kneeled at her side, trying to comfort her, but she was beyond comfort. There was so much grief in her heart. All of the loss that had been ripped away from her came bubbling to the surface, unhindered.

“Mother,” Corrin cried, letting the word escape her lips for the first time since she’d come to Hoshido. “Mother!”

She didn’t know how she ended up there, but suddenly she was in Mikoto’s arms, clinging to her desperately. The Queen’s arms wrapped around her, and for the first time, Corrin felt what it was truly like to be held by a parent.

Though Corrin couldn’t see, the rest of the throne room could only watch as tears streamed down Queen Mikoto’s face as she was finally able to hold her lost child.

-

There were three good things that came out of Corrin sitting on the throne.

The first, and perhaps the biggest boon was that her resolve was stronger than ever. She knew what she had to do, and she had more than enough reasons to continue fighting for it. No matter what happened next, she wouldn’t falter.

The second was her memory of Silas. From what Felicia had told her of her journey, Corrin didn’t think going straight to Camilla and asking for her to betray Nohr with her was going to work. Out of her siblings, she had always been able to talk to her and Elise the most, and if possible, she wanted to keep Elise out of this. Xander would never betray his country, and Leo had never seemed keen on hurting his family.

So, in terms of powerful Nohrian allies, she had none. However, if her hunch was correct, Silas has enough reasons to want to see Garon fall. She would find him as soon as she could, and hope that he hadn’t been killed for trying to break her out of the fort.

The third she only realized after the meeting was over. Felicia was leading her back toward her room when Ryoma stopped them.

“Corrin,” he said. “Might I have a word?”

“Oh,” she said, suddenly a bit nervous. “Of course.”

She might have regained her memories of him, but she had still spent most of her life in Nohr. She had been three or four when she’d been taken by Garon. They’d had a solid relationship when they were children, but enough time had passed to where they were essentially strangers.

The thought upset her more than she thought it would. Now that she truly knew who Ryoma was to her, she wanted to have that sibling relationship with him again. With all of her family in Hoshido. She resented the fact that she had to leave them so soon.

Ryoma took her to the side, letting her lean on his arm as they walked. She was still injured—a fact that had confused Queen Mikoto and the rest. According to legend, the throne should have broken any curse Ganglari had left upon her body. It hadn’t been the case this time.  

“Perhaps this goes without saying,” Ryoma started, his voice gentle. “But I wanted to express my support for your plan to you without an audience.”

“Thank you, Ryoma,” Corrin said, stunned. She’d used to call him ‘brother’, but that was when they were kids. She called Xander that now, and it seemed like a betrayal to either sibling to start calling him anything but his name.

“I just wish we had more time together to discuss it,” she continued. “I don’t think it’ll play off well with Hinoka and the others.”

“I’ll do my best to make sure they understand,” Ryoma said. “All you need to worry about is coming back alive.”

“I think I’ll be okay. You may not believe me, but…Nohrians have hearts, too. I wouldn’t be the way I am now without them.”

He went quiet for a moment, then turned to face her. “I believe you, Corrin. Sister. You proved your honesty and loyalty to us today. I believe in your ability to prevent this war.”

He moved forward and wrapped her in a hug. It wasn’t tight, as he was mindful of her injury, and Corrin returned it immediately.

“Promise you’ll make it back to us, Corrin. We already lost you once. I won’t let it happen again.”

Corrin squeezed him tighter. “I promise, Ryoma. We’ll be seeing this through until the end.”

When they stepped apart, both were smiling. Her heart felt full, and if she weren’t exhausted, she might have cried again. It was nice to remember him. It was even better knowing that he supported her despite the risks.

She just hoped that Nohr could feel the same way.

-

Her entire family insisted on seeing them off. They followed her through castle town, which made a bigger event out of it than Corrin would have liked. The only one who stayed behind was Mother, who decided it was safer after recent events to remain in the castle. She did give Corrin the warmest of farewells, and it had taken almost everything she had to keep herself from crying again.

She realized that she’d cried a lot during her time in Hoshido. She supposed it was as good a time as any; she wouldn’t have time for it in Nohr.

They made their way almost leisurely through castle town, talking and laughing the entire way. Hinoka had been the loudest voice against Corrin returning to Nohr, but even she had eventually relented. After she realized there was no stopping her, she’d tried her hardest to come with them, but Ryoma had put his foot down.

Takumi hadn’t seem overly pleased either, but that wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. She was, however, very happy to have him there to see her off. She was beginning to think that he was much kinder than he let on.

They stopped in the center of town, where a large statue of the late King Sumeragi stood.

“I think this is where we’ll leave you,” Ryoma said. Out of all their siblings, Corrin thought that Ryoma looked the most like their Father. Him standing so close to the statue really proved that thought.

“P-please come back safe,” Sakura said, quickly pushing a bundle of potions into Corrin’s arms. “A-and take care of yourself…!”

“I will,” Corrin said with a laugh. “I won’t let your hard work go to waste.”

“If you need us, come get us immediately,” Hinoka said firmly. “I won’t let Nohr take you from us again!”

“Do take care while we’re gone,” Azura said, standing calmly by Corrin’s side.

“We won’t be gone too long,” Kamui added, attempting to reassure them.

“Just until the threat is gone,” Corrin said with a small smile. 

She was going to say more when a scream cut through the air. Within a matter of seconds, Ryoma had his hand on Raijinto’s hilt and was pushing through the crowd toward the commotion. Corrin turned to follow him with her eyes, and as she did, she felt something shift in the air. She looked up to where she felt the disturbance and her breath caught in her throat.

A black portal ripped through the sky, casting an eerie darkness over the city. As she watched it, she saw some of the darkness drip out of it and crash onto the ground. Something slowly rose from the puddle, becoming humanoid in front of her eyes.

Before she knew what was happening, they were surrounded. Hoshidan citizens were screaming and running, and Ryoma was barking orders to ensure that they made it safely to their homes.

A monster stumbled toward her and she could only watch, shell-shocked as its lifeless eyes peered into her. If it weren’t for the eerie shade of purple emanating from its eyes and the deathly pallor of its skin, it would have looked entirely human.

“Get down!” Takumi shouted from behind her. She didn’t have the reaction time needed, and she felt an arrow whiz past her, slicing into her cheek and sending her hair flying in different directions. His aim was perfect, however—it went right into the forehead of the monster, sending it crashing onto its back, the purple glow of its eyes fading.

Its body disappeared into dust and was quickly blown away by the wind, as if it had never been there in the first place. Even the weapon it wielded had crumbled.

“What’s happening?” Corrin asked, suppressing a shudder. Her eyes hadn’t left the place where the monster had died.

Kamui put a hand on her shoulder away.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Azura, take Corrin somewhere safe. She’s in no condition to fight. Just stay back, and the rest of us will handle this.”

“Of course,” Azura responded, slipping her hand into Corrin’s. She didn’t resist, even though her mind was screaming at her to help them. They needed her now more than ever. But, if she fought now, she’d be nothing more than a burden.

Azura pulled them behind some boxes, far enough from the fighting to be safe, but to where they could still watch it all unfold.

Corrin found herself fascinated with their technique. She could sit back here, angry with herself for being unable to help, or she could watch them and call out if something snuck up on them. However, after a few minutes of doing just that, she realized that they didn’t need her assistance at all.

Takumi and Ryoma were powerful. Their weapons were certainly legendary—every time Takumi landed a strike, a monster would fall. It seemed he channeled all his wrath into his weapon, and it served him dutifully. Ryoma, on the other hand, seemed to be able to strike back with his sword even at a distance. A brilliant white light shone from Raijinto before another monster would fall at his hand.

Hinoka had called down her Pegasus to fight. She had seen the eldest princess fight when she was grounded, but that was nothing compared to what Corrin was witnessing now. Hinoka was even stronger while she was airborne, slicing through every threat like it was paper. How strong her core must have been to allow her to fight on her Pegasus without falling or faltering.

Though Sakura hung back away from the fighting, she too was helping them. Her staff must have been specifically made for healing at a distance, and every time someone sustained an injury, she was immediately tending to them without putting herself at risk. She looked very regal as she sent her magic toward the heavens, then her siblings.

Kaze and Felicia fought as well, their styles similar yet very different. Felicia used a combination of ice magic when she threw her knives, making her a deadly shot. Kaze, on the other hand, threw more of his _shuriken_ , covering her back as though he had done it a thousand times before.

Kamui, however, caught her eye the longest. Though he wielded no such weapon like his brothers, he was still incredibly strong. Many a time did she witness him stab his sword through the gut of a foe and rip it through them—something that no ordinary man should have the strength to do. He brought his weapon down over their heads, almost cutting them in two with the sheer weight behind the attack. She couldn’t help but think how gruesome it would look if he were fighting a regular foe. The ones before him did not bleed, and as such, he came out of each struggle clean and ready to continue.

She was so immersed by her thoughts that she didn’t see the lone soldier stumble toward them until it was too late.

His weapon was raised above his head, soaring toward Azura. Her friend let out a gasp and screamed out for Takumi—the only person who might have saved her in the moment—but she wasn’t quick enough. He heard her shout, and focused his arrows on the monster, but not before its blade met flesh.

Not Azura’s.

Corrin’s.

The only thing that had entered Corrin’s mind at that moment was ‘ _I will not let Azura fall.’_

“Corrin,” Azura gasped helplessly, looking up at the face of her newfound friend. Corrin had let the weapon slice into her back, and she had covered Azura’s body with her own. Azura could only watch as Corrin’s face contorted into one of agony, and her chest heave as she struggled to take in enough air.

Then, it happened.

Corrin’s eyes flew open, but they weren’t the shade of brown Azura was used to. They were a bright, angry red, as though fire had burned its way through her body and shone through her irises. Her entire body shuddered, and she let out a roar that simply wasn’t human. Azura’s clapped her hands over her ears, pain ricocheting through her head at the sheer volume of the battle cry.

When Corrin spun around and struck at the monster, her hands were claws. When she sprinted toward the courtyard toward the others, her legs were that of a beast. When she bit the head from another, there was no longer any resemblance of the woman Azura had known.

Princess Corrin of Nohr had just shifted into a dragon.

“What the—” Takumi yelled, staggering away from her. He wasn’t sure who he should be fighting anymore—the beast who had just entered the fray, or the monsters that were still attacking. He knocked an arrow and aimed it toward the dragon, just as he heard Azura shout.

“Don’t shoot her!” she screamed, stumbling toward him. “It’s Corrin! The dragon is Corrin!”

“What?!” he yelled back. In his bewilderment, he let the shot loose, and could only watch in terror as the arrow clashed into the hide of the beast.

It clattered harmlessly onto the ground. It hadn’t pierced it at all.

The Hoshidan royal family watched as the dragon tore through the courtyard, destroying all the monsters in its path. After seeing how it purposefully avoided their allies, Ryoma called out.

“Do not engage it! We fight by its side until this battle is over!”

And so they did. It went much faster with the dragon fighting their enemies. Soon, they were left with only themselves and the beast in front of them. Despite everything being dead, it did not seem keen on ending the fight. In its rage, it lunged toward Ryoma, who rolled out of the way just before it struck him. The dragon crashed into the statue of Sumeragi, bringing it crashing down around them, sending debris everywhere.

“W-what do we do?” Sakura cried, stepping further and further away from the battle.

“We have to take it down!” Takumi replied. “What choice do we have?”

“No!” Hinoka shouted. “We just got Corrin back! If this thing is truly her—”

“It is!” Azura said. “She took a fatal blow for me. It must be the blood of the dawn dragon reacting to her injuries. If you buy me time, I can save her—I’m certain of it!”

“I’ll handle it,” Kamui said, stepping forward. “Sheathe your weapons! There will be no more blood spilt today.”

Despite his proclamation, hardly anyone did. Only Ryoma put his weapon away, but his hand never left the hilt.

“My liege,” Kaze said, stepping forward. Kamui saw panic in his eyes, but he merely shook his head.

“Step down. If something to happens to me, then you may step in.”

Kamui didn’t know what was happening to Corrin, but whatever it was, he felt it, deep within his chest. Perhaps it was because they were twins that he could feel her power resonating within him, or maybe he was just highly attuned to her life force. Whatever it was, he knew he had to be the one to help her.

“Corrin,” he called, watching as the beast turned its head toward him. He moved toward it slowly, showing it his empty hands. It opened its mouth to snarl at him and took a step backward, stomping its feet angrily at him the closer he got.

“Kamui,” Ryoma warned. He ignored him.

“Corrin, listen to me,” he started, keeping his voice even. “The battle is over. We’re all safe. We need you to come back to us. Can you hear me?”

He was very close now, and he was shocked at the sheer size of the beast. How this thing was his twin sister, he’d never be able to fathom. He took in the fact that it was not attacking him, but rather, seemed scared of him. Was that what triggered the transformation? Fear? As he looked at it now, he didn’t see a monster, he only saw a scared animal in a place it didn’t belong.

_“You are an ocean of waves…”_

He heard Azura’s song, and a sense of calm washed over him. Together, they could stop this. They could get his sister back.

The dragon didn’t seem to share his sentiment. When Azura started singing, it reared its head back and let out a roar, which was so loud it felt as though it shook the ground beneath him. Kamui took yet another step forward, which was a mistake.

_“Destined to seek life beyond the shore…”_

The dragon lunged at him and took him down in one fell swoop. His body crashed onto the pavement, his head slamming into the dirt. The dragon’s claw crushed his torso, taking the wind right out of him.

_“Just out of reach…”_

He heard his siblings cry out, but he shook his head.

“Don’t interrupt her!” he gasped. Though the dragon had him pinned, its arm was shaking. There was little to no pressure on him anymore. Whatever Azura’s plan was, it was working.

_“Yet may the tide ever change,_

_Flowing like time, to the path, yours to climb.”_

The next noise the dragon made was no longer animalistic. It was beginning to sound like a human cry of pain. Kamui reached up and put his hands on the dragon’s arm, and he spoke to her once more.

“Come back, Corrin. You’ve survived so much already. You can’t let this beat you.”

When the dragon finally collapsed on top of him, it hurt much less than it should have. On its descent, it shifted back into a human, and it was only Corrin who fell onto his chest.

Kamui let out a sigh of relief and put his arms around her. For a few moments, he simply let himself take in some air and hold her as she shivered.

Azura kneeled at his side, clutching something in her hands. He smiled up at her, his relief at seeing her unharmed making her look all the more beautiful.

The rest of his family had surrounded them, their eyes filled with concern. Ryoma made sure to give them enough space, letting Sakura step in to tend to any injuries. However, when she knelt down to search him, he merely shook his head.

“She didn’t hurt me,” he said.

“I’m sorry, are we going to ignore the fact that she just turned into a dragon and destroyed everything?” Takumi asked. “What do we even do about any of that?”

“Don’t worry,” Azura said, pulling back some of Corrin’s hair from her face. “I prepared for something like this. Being descendants of high dragons, there’s a chance any one of us could have the power to shift into one. It is a very slim chance, but it is there. When I was younger, my mother gifted me this should it ever happened to me.”

She held a blue stone with both of her hands. It glinted in the sunlight, and Kamui could feel the power emanating from it.

“A dragonstone,” Azura explained. “It will help her with transformations. With this, nothing like what happened today will happen again.”

“You’re certain?” Ryoma asked. His voice did not betray any doubt, just wonder.

“Yes,” Azura confirmed.

Just as Kamui was beginning to wonder how he was going to get up, Corrin groaned. Hinoka helped her off him, and though she wasn’t overly heavy, he was grateful to be able to take in a deep breath again.

Corrin’s head was pounding in her skull. She pressed her palms over her eyes, willing the pain away, to little avail.

“Gods,” she grunted. “What happened?”

“D-don’t move around too much,” Sakura said, pressing her hand to Corrin’s forehead. Relief immediately washed over her, relieving her of her headache.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” Ryoma asked.

Corrin swallowed, her tongue thick in her throat. It felt like she hadn’t had a drink of water in years. She struggled to recall her memory, but her eyes landed on Azura and everything came rushing back to her.

“I…saw a monster about to attack Azura,” she said, struggling to find the right words. “Then I moved to protect her.”

After that, there was nothing besides a vague voice in her mind. Her gaze strayed to Kamui, who returned the look calmly.

They spent the next few minutes filling her in. She looked around the courtyard, at the destruction she’d supposedly wrought, and panic flooded through her. Her worries were cut off by Azura, who gently placed a stone in her hands.

“This will help you,” she said, giving a brief explanation of what it was.

“Manakete have been using these for centuries,” she said. “It allows you to change forms at will without any problems. You should be in full control.”

Suddenly, a lot of things began to make sense. She remembered how strange her arm had looked the night she’d attacked Hans, or when she’d shattered Ganglari. The truth had been in front of her all this time, but she hadn’t known what it meant.

She wasn’t human.

Her heart felt heavy, but she refused to cry. She had been crying far too often. She stared down at the stone in her hands, willing the tears away. She took in a deep breath and bit her lip, then managed to look up at her family.

They weren’t looking at her like someone might look at a monster. There was no scorn on their faces—not even Takumi. He didn’t look happy, of course, but there was no hatred in his gaze. The rest looked concerned, worried.

“I’m sorry, everyone,” she said. “I can hardly believe I did this,” she continued, gesturing to the destruction around them.

“Is anyone hurt?” she asked.

“Not a scratch,” Hinoka said. “I don’t think we lost anyone. I’ll scout around and check while we’re here, but I didn’t see any blood.”

Corrin nodded and let out a small sigh. “Can someone help me up?”

It was Kamui who was closest to her, and after getting up himself, he held out a hand for her to grab onto. She reached for it and pulled herself up swiftly.

She blinked. That was much easier than she thought it would be.

Her hand fell to her abdomen, over to where her wound had been pulsating with pain not even an hour earlier. As she probed her bandages, there was no pain at all, as if she had never been injured in the first place.

Did awakening this new power finally seal her wound shut? She would think it would do the opposite, but that didn’t seem to be the case. If she wasn’t in full view of her entire birth family, she might have taken her shirt and bandages off to check.

“I-Is something wrong, Corrin?” Sakura asked, ever the worrier.

“No, the opposite, actually. I don’t think I’m injured anymore.”

Sakura’s eyes widened, and she pushed forward to check. A white light shone from her hands as she hovered over Corrin’s wound, similar to what she had seen her sister use in battle earlier. After a moment, Sakura’s hands fell.

“Y-you’re right. I can’t find any traces of injury on you.”

Corrin stretched her arms over her head. She expected _something,_ a twinge of pain, a dull ache, but there was nothing. She could only feel her bandages, which felt a bit too tight now that they weren’t meant to hold her together.

“Well,” Kamui said with a smile. “I suppose this will make our trip to Nohr a bit easier.”

“You still plan on going?” Hinoka blurted. “Whatever that was, it was clearly Nohrian. If you ask me, that was a pretty big declaration of war.”

“I agree,” Takumi said bitterly.

Corrin locked eyes with Ryoma, who stood there calmly. She gave him a small nod, one he returned. She understood the meaning.

“I can’t help but agree,” Corrin admitted, her eyes locking onto the destruction around them. Though the sheer amount of power those beings had frightened her, she was even more determined now to put a stop to this madness than she had been before.

Whatever Garon’s plan had been— _if_ scaring her away had been his plot—it had backfired.

“But in all honesty, this only shows me how badly I need to return. I need to speak with my family.”

She hoped they understood that _they_ were her family as well. She didn’t have time to mince words anymore.

“If things get dangerous, we’ll return. I promise. There’s still a chance we can quell the damage by facing Garon now.”

Takumi scoffed, but he was the only one who verbally expressed dissent. She ignored it for now – she didn’t like it, but she had no choice—and turned to look at Kamui.

“I feel a dragon vein here,” she said. “The least I can do is fix the damage I’ve done. Will you help me?”

He nodded and made his way to her side. They both knelt to touch the earth, reaching for the power beneath them. Just as Corrin felt it flow through her, she heard Hinoka gasp from behind her, breaking her concentration.

“My lady!” Kaze shouted, and she heard his footsteps racing toward her.

Corrin’s eyes flew open to see something golden soaring through the air toward her and Kamui. She tensed up, ready to push her brother out of the way, but she was too late. Kaze, however, was not, and he came to a halt in front of her, his arms positioned to deflect the blow.

It never came. The only thing she could hear was that of her heart pounding rapidly in her chest. Beyond Kaze, she could see that the sword was floating in front of him, lying on its side non-threateningly.

Corrin pushed herself back up to her feet to get a better look. She put her hand on Kaze’s shoulder and stood at his side, trying to get a better look.

“It emerged from the statue,” he said, his gaze wandering to the shattered image of King Sumeragi.

It was a sword. The golden weapon hovered in the air in front of them, as though it were waiting for one of them to take hold of it. Corrin was wary—the last time she accepted a magical weapon, it’d had a mind of its own.

“I’ve heard legends of this,” Ryoma murmured, stepping closer, his eyes locked onto the sword. “This is no ordinary weapon. It’s—”

He was cut off, as the sword rushed toward Corrin again. It swerved past Kaze and slipped itself comfortably into Corrin’s hand. It glowed a bit brighter in her palm, and she looked at Ryoma, more confused than ever.

Suddenly, the sword was pulling her somewhere. It wasn’t tough enough to where she couldn’t dig her heels in and resist it, but…she was curious. She felt no malevolent energy from this weapon. The entire family watched as she was pulled toward Kamui, then slipping his hand onto the hilt as well.

“The divine sword, Yato,” Ryoma said finally. “Legend tells that it should only be wielded by one warrior…but I suppose fate did not consider that two warriors may share the same soul. It is said that Yato was forged to be the key to peace in our world.”

“The key to peace, huh?” Kamui said, looking down at her with humor lighting his eyes. “I guess this proves that we have fate on our side.”

“This is ridiculous,” Takumi said. “Are we going to get any _more_ surprises while we’re out here? Maybe Naga itself will come down and grant Corrin a key to the world.”

“Takumi, don’t be an ass,” Hinoka glared.

“I’m not!” he said defensively. “Sorry if I think that our sister turning into a dragon, then getting a legendary weapon is a little far-fetched.”

 Hinoka rolled her eyes good-spiritedly and punched his arm. “Come on. We’re all descended from draconic blood, _and_ you wield a legendary weapon yourself. I bet a lot of the people in town think that’s a little far-fetched.”

He scoffed. “Whatever.”

“He is right about one thing, though,” Kamui said. “I’ve had just about enough surprises for the day. Let’s fix this up and get a move on.”

“I’ll help you this time,” Hinoka said, pushing past her brother and standing by Corrin’s side. “It’ll go a bit faster.”

“M-me too!” Sakura chimed in. She rushed over to them and knelt down, ready to help.

“Can’t let you guys have all the glory,” Takumi muttered. He joined their circle and closed his eyes, reaching for the energy of the dragon vein.

Wordlessly, but with a warm smile, Ryoma made his way over as well. The Hoshidan royal family made a circle and put their hands together, shutting their eyes to focus. They all found the pool of energy at the same time, and their power erupted from their feet with a brilliant light. Corrin couldn’t help but open her eyes and watch as their combined magic flowed through the city, repairing everything that had been broken. When the basic repairs were finished, it flew back into the air and exploded into a shower of stars, which slowly descended to the ground.

Just like that, Castle Town had been repaired. Townsfolk peeked their heads out of their homes to see the glitter falling from the sky, and soon they were being swamped with thank-yous and tearful gratefulness.

When the scene was over, and they were finally ready to board the carriage, Kamui pulled Corrin to the side.

“Corrin, I believe you should be the one to take Yato,” he said, pushing the sword into her hands. She looked up at him, surprised.

“I mean…I am without a weapon, but…I am not nearly as skilled as you are. I don’t think I could put it to good use.”

Kamui shook his head. “Even still. I have a weapon of my own. Perhaps it doesn’t compare to that of a legendary sword, but I do not need another. You do. Besides, our trip to Nohr was your idea. I think it’s only fitting.”

Corrin swallowed, nervous at the thought of holding so much power with her own two hands. She didn’t consider herself worthy. She had never won a battle, nor had she done anything to deserve a weapon of legend.

However, it would be a comfort in the coming days, being armed with such an arsenal. A dragonstone, Yato…with these, not a single ally would come to harm’s way.

She hooked Yato to a holster at her hip and gave Kamui a firm nod.

“Thank you, brother. For now, we should be on our way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodbye Hoshido! 
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsz5ijRQvUY  
> This is the song that I base Azura's song on, before anyone asks! I like it more, what can I say? I've already established myself as a canon-destroyer, lol.


	13. Nohr

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Don't call me that, you--"

12

“It isn’t that I don’t want to fight,” Azura explained, her hands carefully placed on the shaft of her lance. “I simply never learned.”

“Would you be interested in learning?” Corrin inquired. “To be honest, I’m not all that skilled yet either. I’ve yet to beat any of my siblings in a spar. We could take the time to learn together. Knowing how to defend yourself is an invaluable skill, no matter where you come from.”

“I would love to,” Azura smiled. “If we ever have the time, that is.”

Corrin took a moment to glance out of the window of the carriage. Their journey to Nohr had held no further surprises for them, which was both a blessing and a curse. She had been under the impression that Nohrian roads were treacherous, so she hadn’t been able to relax despite how calm the trip had been.

“Speaking of time,” Kaze said, “May I ask what the plan is when we arrive?”

“I’ve been thinking about it a lot,” Corrin said, looking over at him. “And I think our best bet would be to find my butler, Jakob. After that, I’ll search for Camilla and the rest of my siblings on my own. They’ll want to speak with me in private, I’m sure.”

Azura nodded, “Of course. Though, there is one thing I’ve been wondering. Kamui is to act as my retainer, but what of Kaze? Surely it’ll be suspicious if he shows up with us without reason.”

Corrin’s gaze moved to him once more and she fell silent. Azura was right. No one in Nohr would accept that he came from HoshidoHo without ulterior motives.

Her first instinct was to say that Kaze would act as _her_ retainer, but she held her tongue. That line of thought felt very selfish.

“He could pose as your second retainer, Azura,” Corrin said after some consideration. “That will take some suspicion off of him.”

Azura looked to Kaze. “Does that work for you, Kaze?” she asked. “You’ve no obligation to continue this line of work once we leave Nohr.”

Kaze nodded curtly. “It would be my honor to serve.”

Corrin felt her heart squeeze, but it was unlike the anxiety she had felt when they were on the road. Before she could understand what it meant, the sound of swords clashing in the distance caught her attention.

“Do you hear that, Kamui?” she called, moving to stick her head out of the window of the carriage.

Kamui glanced back at her and pulled on the reins, forcing the horses to slow so he could listen. He shook his head and continued leading them down the road. After a few more minutes of travel, he brought the carriage to a halt.

“It’s more of those creatures,” Kamui called once he was by the side of the carriage. Corrin jumped out to get a better look.

 “Let Felicia and I handle this,” Corrin said to Kamui, putting an arm out to push him back. “I don’t sense any dragon veins around here, and you can’t risk being caught.”

A thoughtful look came over him, but he didn’t argue. He simply nodded and stepped into the carriage, out of sight.

“What’s the plan?” Felicia asked, looking over at Corrin. She already had a dagger in hand, standing confidently beside her.

“Allow me to help,” Kaze said, lifting his mask over his nose.

“I don’t know what’s happening yet,” Corrin admitted. “Let’s get a closer look.”

Kaze gave a curt nod and disappeared into the shadows, while she and Felicia got as close as they could by hiding behind some dead looking shrubbery. It took her a minute to figure out what was happening, but when she did, she tensed.

“Those are royal guard uniforms,” Corrin whispered.

“And those _are_ the monsters we fought in Hoshido,” Felicia said, biting her bottom lip nervously.

Corrin clutched the dragonstone in her pocket and let out a deep breath. She was nervous to rush into the heat of battle. She silently reminded herself that the only reason she had transformed last time was due to her injury. She wouldn’t lose control this time; Azura had been certain of it.

With a resigned sigh, she sent a nod to Felicia, and shot out of the bushes. She rushed towards the nearest monster, Yato drawn.

Despite her rush, it did not escape her notice how the sword felt in her hands. It was different, somehow. Yato felt as though it were made for her, crafted to make _her_ stronger. As she fought back against the faceless foes, she suddenly understood what it was really like to hold a legendary weapon, to have it turn the tide of battle in her favor.

When the last monster crumbled to dust before her, she straightened and sheathed her weapon, realizing that she had hardly broken a sweat. In fact, she felt better than she had in weeks.

“Corrin?” a voice called. She jolted as she recognized it. Her heart thumped in her chest, a mixture of excitement and nervousness suddenly overtaking her.

His voice brought her back to when she was a child. When she’d seen him in her memories, his face and voice had been blurry, as though he had only been a specter in her mind. Now, when his face came into view, she remembered him all over again, as though he had never left her side.

“Silas?” she asked, taking a step toward him.

She couldn’t believe her luck. He was going to be one of the first people she tracked down once she got settled. That he was standing here now, in front of her, seemed like it could be nothing more than fate.

Silas swung his leg over his horse and dismounted it, and she rushed over to him. Before she really knew what she was doing, she flung herself into his arms, wrapping him into a tight hug. He laughed and responded in kind, crushing her with his tight embrace.  

“It’s been years, Corrin,” Silas said once they separated. He held her at arm’s length, still grinning ear to ear. “I’m surprised you even recognized me!”

“I’ll admit, it took me a moment,” she chuckled. “You’ve gotten so much taller! But you still style your hair the same way.”

Corrin’s heart swelled with happiness. He was _here._ He hadn’t been killed that day he tried to sneak her out of the castle. Her first friend.

“You’ve become a cavalier for King Garon’s army?” she asked, glancing at the rest of his group. A few of them had been eyeing them curiously, but turned away when she looked their way.

“I have,” he said proudly. He frowned after a moment, however. “I trained for years to be assigned as your personal retainer, but the request was shot down. I guess the King didn’t appreciate all the time I spent breaking in to see you. It all worked out in the end, though. I’ve finally met back up with you.”

 His hands tightened on her arms, and Corrin smiled sheepishly. “It has. I wish I had known you put so much effort toward seeing me. Once I’m home, I’ll see to it that you’re properly rewarded. Right now, though, I’m kind of in a hurry to meet with my family. Do you think you could escort me and my party?”

Silas’ eyes wandered to the carriage behind her, no doubt spotting Felicia and Kaze. He was quick to agree.

“Of course. I’d heard that you were sent off on a mission weeks ago, but they hadn’t heard back from you. It would be my honor to get you back safely.”

Corrin happily agreed and turned back to the group to explain what was happening. She poked her head inside of the carriage to keep Kamui and Azura in the loop as well.

“I’ll lead the carriage from here out. You wait until you sense a dragon vein—that means we’re probably inside castle grounds,” she said to her brother.

With a nod from him, Corrin went back out, saddled up, and began following Silas and the guard.

She quickly realized that riding a horse was _not_ as easy as others made it seem. How her entire Nohrian family managed to ride some type of animal into battle astounded her, as she was absolutely certain that she would fall off at any moment. Luckily for her, Silas held back to keep up conversation, and when she began to slip off, he held out an arm and caught her.

“Gods, at this rate I’m going to crash the carriage,” Corrin said uneasily.

“Just relax,” Silas said, and she glared at him.

“No, really,” he said encouragingly. “The horse can tell if you’re nervous. Keep your feet in the stirrups and you’ll be fine. I’ll lead you in the right direction.”

“I didn’t know you had such an affinity for horses,” she said, impressed. “Your hard work really shows, Silas.”

He let out an awkward chuckle and scratched his cheek. He didn’t seem used to the praise.

“It’s been tough but rewarding. My unit’s full of good people, and I loved learning how to use weapons. And yes, dealing with horses was a bonus.”

Corrin carefully examined him, searching for any signs that he might be dissatisfied with what he was doing. She couldn’t find anything, and worry began to wiggle itself into her heart. Silas willingly worked for the Kings army—who was she to even consider asking him to put that to the side to help her start a revolution? Even if they had been friends all those years ago?

Pushing the thought from her mind for the time being, she decided to make small talk. They caught up a bit as they made their way to Castle Krakenburg, and it kept her mostly distracted from the looming shadow of Castle Krakenburg.

No matter what was going to happen, she knew that King Garon was not going to be happy with her. For all she knew, her siblings could be angry as well. They knew that she had willingly stayed in Hoshido—how would they take that news?

She had no time to think about it. Before she knew it, Silas had led them to the stables, and was introducing himself to the rest of her party. It wouldn’t be long until she had to face the problem head on.

“It’s so nice to see you again!” Felicia said with a wave. She and Jakob had been the ones who had snuck Silas in to see her every other day. The four of them had made many memories together before it had all come crashing down.

Kaze, who had been absent since the battle, seemed to appear out of nowhere as he placed his hand on Corrin’s back.

“How are you feeling, my lady?” he asked, quiet enough so that he wouldn’t attract attention.

She had jumped at his touch but calmed immediately once she’d realized it was him.

“I’m fine,” she said honestly. “A bit nervous, but that’s to be expected. Unharmed. How are you faring after the last battle?”

He nodded once. “I am well. I also made it out unharmed.”

“Good,” she grinned. “Let’s keep it that way.”

Azura and Kamui stepped out of the carriage, and though most eyes were drawn immediately to Azura, Corrin’s locked on to her twin.

He had shifted his look entirely. He kept the look of a handsome young man, but gone were the features that marked him as Hoshidan royalty. His hair had gone from white to brown, wild to well kept. His skin color had gone a few shades darker, as though he’d been left out in the sun for a few hours. His glamour was flawless; no one would suspect a thing.

“You brought company from Hoshido?” Silas asked, surprised.

“Yes,” Corrin said hastily. “This is Princess Azura and her retainer. She was a stalwart ally during my time in Hoshido, and so I requested she return to Nohr with me.”

During her speech, Corrin realized that despite all they’d come up with so far, they hadn’t come up with an alternative name for Kamui. They couldn’t call him by his real name, lest it be recognized. Luckily, Silas was so caught up in Azura’s presence that he didn’t even acknowledge him.

“Princess Azura? The same Princess that was stolen from us years ago?” he asked, his eyes widening and jaw going slack. When Corrin nodded, he let out a hearty laugh. “I’m shocked that they let either of you to come back! This is great news. Come on, I’m sure your family will be excited to hear the news!”

Silas began leading them through the courtyard, and Azura slipped behind Corrin and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Kamui’s name is Kana,” she whispered, keeping herself brief for the sake of prying eyes. She gave a genuine smile. “You’re doing great, Corrin.”

“Thank you,” Corrin replied softly. “But the hardest part has yet to come.”

She repeats the name Kana in her head over and over again, trying to memorize it. Strangely, she found that she genuinely liked the name.

As she enters the castle, Corrin remembered a crucial detail she had overlooked. Her heart began to race, and an image of her sister wrapping Kaze in thorns flashed in her mind. She had completely forgotten about that, but she knew her sister hadn’t.

Camilla never forgot the face of someone who wronged her.

Corrin’s step faltered. She moved to glace at Kaze, frantic. His uniform had changed slightly since then, but she knew her sister would recognize him if she didn’t do something. She cursed herself for not thinking of such a major detail before now. Instead of making a scene, she turned her head to Azura and whispered, “Tell Kaze to remove his mask. Tell him I’ll explain later.”

Azura looked up at her and nodded, thankfully not asking questions before slowing down and matching her step with Kaze’s.

“I’m afraid this is as far as I can take you,” Silas said once they stood in front of the throne room. He looked sheepish, and he scratched the back of his head. “I’m glad I got to see you again, Corrin. If you ever have a spare minute, I’m usually in the barracks. I’d love to catch up.”

Corrin nodded and grinned. “Thank you again, Silas. I’ll find you again once I get settled in, okay?”

With a few more pleasantries exchanged, Silas set off, leaving Corrin and her party standing anxiously in front of the throne room. Corrin found herself hesitant to open the door. A shudder ran through her as she heard her father muttering behind it.

She wished she had run into one of her siblings along the way. She could postpone meeting him to speak with them, or simply have them walk in with her. She had never faced her father without one of them with her. The thought of doing so now had her frozen in fear.

She had people behind her now, waiting for her to go forward. She had brought them here. Would they be angry at her if they knew how terrified she was? She knew some of the things that King Garon had done, yet she had still begged them to help her. To come with her on this suicide mission.

A hand rested on her shoulder, and she flinched. She saw Azura move to her side to give an encouraging nod.

Somehow, that was enough. Breath found its way back into her lungs, and her thoughts settled.  

Corrin stepped forward and lightly rapped her fingers on one of the ridiculously large oak doors. Silence fell behind it, and she could almost sense her father’s anger at being interrupted.

It was quiet for a moment longer, then—

“Enter.”

Taking another deep breath, Corrin pushed the door open and stepped inside. Her steps echoed off the stone floors, ringing in her ears as she made her way to him. When she stood in front of the throne, she kneeled respectfully.

Where she once had kept her head low to the ground when speaking to her King, she now looked up at him. It went against everything she had been taught, but her gut twisted when she thought of groveling in submission. She would kneel for him to show some respect for now, but only because she had lives other than her own to protect.

“You’ve returned,” King Garon spoke. If she did not know any better, she’d say he was surprised. Luckily for her, she did know better, and she knew that he was not surprised at all.

“Yes, Father,” Corrin said.

King Garon stood. Corrin did not react as he descended the stairs, nor did she flinch when he grabbed her chin so forcefully that she was certain it would bruise.

He sneered down at her. “You dare return after your failure at the Bottomless Canyon? After I heard reports of you allying with Hoshido?”

Corrin stared up at him, her eyes burning with contempt. As much as she tried, she couldn’t keep the anger out of her expression. She had returned to him after he attempted to destroy her, and this was how he reacted? Even when she brought an audience?

“Father,” she said, finding it hard to speak with his fingers on her jaw. “I—”

His grip tightened. Corrin gasped in pain. An unbearable pain split through her, and she saw stars flash across her vision.

“Don’t call me that, you—”

“Father!”

Just as Corrin was certain she would leave with a broken jaw, Xander’s voice cut through the darkness. King Garon dropped her, and Corrin’s knees hit the ground pathetically. She hadn’t noticed that he had lifted her.

Her hands cradled her face, and she fought to blink back tears. Not just because of the pain, but because Xander was here and he just saved her, and—

“Our sister has returned to us, hale and hearty. Is this not news for celebration?” Xander asked. Corrin looked over at him and found that his eyes were locked onto her. She wanted to run to him, to throw herself into his arms. However, seeing him here similarly terrified her—how could he put himself at risk like this? Father was angry, she was scared, and--

King Garon was silent. For a terrifying moment, Corrin thought that he might lash out at Xander, but instead he simply turned to face her again, his anger tempered.

“You bring a fair point,” Garon said gruffly, as though he were not just about to shatter Corrin’s jaw. “Elise has not quieted since your departure.”

His eyes roam over the rest of her party. She watches his expression, trying to gauge whether or not he recognizes anyone. He should, at the very least, recognize Azura, but there is nothing in his gaze. Just contemplative emptiness.

 King Garon might have been a good man once, but there was no semblance of said man as he stood in front of her.

“You’ve brought Hoshidans into my home,” Garon said, his gaze once again fixed on Corrin. “Are they spies? Lambs you’ve brought to slaughter?”

“No, Father,” Corrin replied through her teeth. “I’ve brought Princess Azura back with me from Hoshido. She was stolen from us years ago. I thought it might please you if I brought her back. The others with her are her retainers.”

King Garon grunted. It wasn’t the reaction she was expecting from a man who had lost his daughter. She didn’t know why she’d hoped she’d get a reaction out of him at all.

“I remember,” he said. “She is welcome. Though if any of them step out of line, they will not live to regret it.”

“Understood.”

King Garon went back to his throne and sat down. Corrin remembered how beautiful the Hoshidan throne had been. Compared to that, the Nohrian throne might as well have been made of ash.

“Leave us,” he continued. “Find your siblings. They have not acted as royalty should since your departure.”

“Yes, Father,” Corrin said, struggling to get back to her feet. She and her party made their way toward the exit, and just as she was about to leave, Garon stopped her once more.

“Corrin,” he said. “Reports tell me that you were gravely injured in Hoshido. Yet you stand in front of me now without a scratch.”

Corrin’s blood ran cold. He knew about Ganglari.

“Yes, Father,” Corrin said once more. “I was given extensive healing in Hoshido. I was lucky to make it out alive.”

Garon grunted. His eyes moved back to Xander, who was still staring at Corrin. Without another word, Corrin left the throne room, praying that she would never have to go back in again.


	14. Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 3/4 siblings found.

13

Corrin’s jaw still shook from the pain. She bit down on her lip, trying to stop the tremors, but nothing would stop them.

Once they were far enough away from the throne room, Azura hastened to her side. Her hands came up to Corrin’s face, lightly brushing over the place Garon had grabbed her. Her touch managed to soothe her somewhat, but it wasn’t enough to calm her.

“Are you alright?” Azura breathed, her eyes filled with worry.

Corrin had managed to hold off tears until that moment, but once Azura asked, her eyes began to fill. She choked down her tears, rubbing away any remnants of them. Now was not the time.

“I’ll be fine,” Corrin said, her voice filled with gravel. She put a hand over one of Azura’s to remove it from her face, and she nodded slightly. “I’m used to this, Azura. I’m only sorry you had to see it.”

Azura’s eyebrows furrowed, but her words were stolen away by Felicia.

“Let me heal you, my lady,” she said. Corrin was going to refuse, but she knew she couldn’t walk around the castle with bruises on her face so soon after returning from Hoshido. It would raise too many questions. For the time being, she simply took solace in Felicia’s frozen touch, allowing it to heal and calm her.

Once she was done, Corrin turned her attention to Kaze and Kamui. Her brother did not look pleased, but he didn’t need to speak for her to recognize that. Kaze’s expression remained unreadable, and even if she could discern it, she didn’t want him to see her like this.

“Well,” she said, trying to lighten the mood. “The first order of business is finding Jakob. I’ll get him to find everyone rooms while I search for Camilla. Is everyone on board?”

After a few mutters of agreement, Corrin set off. Felicia quickly took over leading the way, as this was only Corrin’s second time in the castle, and she had no idea where she was going.  Soon they were standing in a sectioned off hallway, and Felicia was pounding on a door.

“Jakob! We really need you out here!” she called.

“Oh, for the love of—” Corrin heard Jakob curse before he swung the door open, fully ready to begin shouting back before he locked eyes with her.

“My lady!” he exclaimed. “You’ve returned!”

He was about to step forward, no doubt about to drill her with as many questions as he could, but Felicia stopped him.

“No, no, we don’t have time for that!” she reprimanded. “Lady Corrin has to find her sister, and we have work to do.”

“Sorry, Jakob,” Corrin said quietly. “Time really is of the essence. Can you tell me where Camilla is? I promise I’ll explain everything later.”

Though his expression was sour, he gave a small quirk of his head. “Lady Camilla should be training at this hour. Try looking for her in the arena.”

“Thank you,” Corrin said. “Oh, and, if it’s possible, try to get everyone rooms next to mine. I know it’ll be tough, but…”

Jakob shook his head. “Please, my lady, there is nothing a butler cannot do. Now, do you know where the arena is?”

Corrin pressed her lips together. She didn’t. However, she wanted more than anything to be alone to formulate her thoughts before she spoke with her sister.

“I’m sure I’ll find it. Thank you again.”

Before he could stop her, she rushed off. It wasn’t her brightest idea, but she couldn’t handle him right now. She had so many things to deal with; Jakob couldn’t be one of them. She loved him dearly, but she needed the few moments of silence she could get.

Yet despite wanting to use the time to think, she got almost no thinking done. As she roamed, she found that the whispers of the maids unnerved her, and her mind was too focused on finding Camilla to form anything coherent. After an embarrassing amount of time, she stopped a servant and asked them to take her to where she needed to be.

The sound of battle reached her ears immediately. When Camilla fought something, she made sure to make it a spectacle. When Corrin stepped in, she noticed that Camilla swung a little faster and hit a little harder. She hadn’t squandered her training since she’d been away.

“Camilla,” Corrin called, stepping further inside. There was a palpable silence as Camilla paused her assault and whipped her head around.

Then, suddenly, Camilla dropped her axe. She saw Corrin standing there, and there was a moment where time seemed to still. Corrin opened her mouth to say something, but she was cut off. Camilla broke out into a run, and soon she was being swooped her up into her arms and crushed her to her chest.

“You’re alive,” Camilla whispered. Her voice cracked in Corrin’s ear. “Thank the Gods, you’re alive.”

Corrin buried her face in Camilla’s shoulder and suddenly, it was too much for her. Being back in Nohr, facing her father, reuniting with Camilla—all of it was too much. Corrin squeezed her sister and cried.

“I thought I’d never see you again,” Corrin gasped, realizing that it was _true._ There had been a time where she’d considered staying in Hoshido. She had been too scared to face her own failure at the Bottomless Canyon, knowing that anyone else would be killed for murdering another Nohrian soldier and failing to complete a task.

How many nights had she spent crying, mourning the loss of her family? And now that she was back home, she felt nothing but apprehension. Apprehension and fear.

Being in Camilla’s arms now only made her feel worse. It was supposed to make her feel better, but it didn’t.

“Honey,” Camilla cooed, pulling out of the embrace to wipe Corrin’s tears. “It’s okay now. You’re home. That’s all that matters. You know I hate it when you cry.”

“I know,” Corrin hiccupped. “I’m sorry.”

“No apologies. Let’s find a place to sit. You must be exhausted. I’ll fetch you something to eat and drink.”

“Wait, Camilla. I want to speak with you and Leo first. There’s a lot going on, and I don’t want to explain five more times.”

 “Of course, dear. He should be in the library. Are you sure you’re alright? I’m sure everyone can wait until you’ve rested to hear what happened.”

Corrin managed a small smile, but she shook her head. “No, I’m really not that tired. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

Though she seemed unconvinced, for once, Camilla didn’t push the subject. She took ahold of Corrin’s hand and guided her out of the arena and through the halls. There might have been a time where Corrin would have felt silly holding onto her sister’s hand like a child. Now, she only gripped the hand tighter.

Camilla pushed open the door to the library, and Corrin immediately spotted her brother. The sight of him sitting there shocked her, in more ways than one.

In all of her years of knowing him, she had never seen Leo wear anything informal. Even when they would eat breakfast together at the Northern Fortress--even if her sisters had been in their pajamas--Leo would already be dressed for the day.

Sitting there now, he wore only a grey shirt and a pair of slacks, a hand buried in his hair as he grimaced at a book. His cape was nowhere to be seen, and his hair was wildly unkempt. If it weren’t for the scowl he wore, she might not have recognized him at all. Her first instinct was to rush forward and bring him into a hug as she had done with Camilla, but she knew her younger brother was much more modest with his affection than her sister.

“Leo?” she called, taking a step toward him. His eyes flicked from his book to her, and he did a double take. He put his book down and was standing in one swift movement.

“Sister,” he said. A look of relief spread over his face, and Corrin’s heart ached. The way his grimace had melted away made her hurt from how much she had missed him.

Distance makes the heart grow fonder. She hadn’t known what that meant until now.

“I’m alive,” she said weakly. “And I’ve got a few stories to tell, if you have the time.”

-

She wouldn’t tell them everything. Not yet. It was too early to lay her plans out bare. Instead, she stuck to the essentials. Before she started, she asked Leo to put up a barrier around the three of them. They all knew that it was better if their conversation went unheard.

She started with the Bottomless Canyon. How she’d killed Hans, and how she knew nothing of Gunter’s fate. She told them about Azura and the rest of her party—remembering that her brother was _Kana,_ not Kamui. Finally, she told them of Ganglari, and even went so far as to stand and show them her scar.

Her injury had been real. Leo’s eyes thinned at the sight, and Camilla’s face twisted with anger.

“I know Felicia told you about what we learned,” Corrin said softly after returning to her seat. “That I’m...not Nohrian.”

Camilla’s fist tightened, but she remained silent. Leo was the one who spoke up.

“After Felicia left, I did some research,” he said, glancing at Camilla. “There’s a lot of evidence that proves it. Xander wouldn’t say anything, but from what I gathered...”

_He knew._ Leo didn’t have to finish. The knowledge hurt more than it should have.

“I remember Azura,” Camilla said tightly. “I remember my mother telling me not to speak to her. I assumed she had kept me away from you as well. Almost all of us are half-siblings; I never once thought that you weren’t my sister by some measure.”

“Is it true?” Leo asked, his stare boring into her. “You have a twin?”

Corrin’s heart thumped nervously in her chest at the mention of him. “Yes. We’re fraternal, but…I knew it when I looked at him. There’s no mistaking it.”

The three of them fell silent. Fear rose up in Corrin’s throat, until she couldn’t help but ask—

“We…we are still a family, right?” she said, her voice soft and breathless. “Even if…even if they’re my blood, you all…you’re my family. You raised me. This doesn’t change that, right?”

“It changes nothing,” Camilla said darkly. She reached over and put her hand on Corrin’s shoulder. Corrin leaned into it, glad for the comfort. “You’re still our sister. Nothing anyone says will ever change that.”

Leo nodded in silent agreement. Corrin was finally able to take in a full breath. She had needed to hear it—she had told herself over and over again that this would be the case, but it hadn’t been convincing. Knowing that her family wasn’t broken soothed her.

“So, what do we plan to do from here?” Leo asked. “I don’t think Father plans to stop prodding Hoshido. How will that effect you after all of this, Corrin?”

Corrin swallowed. “I don’t know yet,” she said softly. “I’ll need time to figure it out. For now, I wish to speak with Elise. I heard she hasn’t left her room?”

“She’s been beside herself,” Camilla said, shaking her head lightly. “I can take you there now. Will you be joining us, brother?”

Leo’s fierce gaze didn’t leave her—he’d noticed how swiftly she’d changed the subject. She saw the exact moment he decided to drop it. For all of his nuances, Leo was kinder than he seemed. He’d let it go for now, but she’d have to face him sooner or later.

“No, I have work to finish here,” he said finally. “I’ll meet up with you later.”

“Okay,” Corrin said. “Good luck.”

Camilla stood and went toward the exit, and Corrin trailed after her. Just as they entered the hallway, Corrin’s attention was drawn to a figure standing just outside.

“Lady Corrin,” Felicia said. Her eyes shifted from her to Camilla, and Corrin could tell she was uncomfortable.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, pulling away from her sister.

“We’ve encountered a few problems in your absence,” Felicia admitted. “I know you’re reuniting with your family, but…”

Corrin bit her lip in worry. She didn’t want to make Elise worry about her any longer, but she couldn’t abandon her company either. She took a step toward Felicia and nodded.

“Lead the way, then. Camilla, would you mind fetching Elise to tell her that I’ve returned? I’m afraid this may take a moment.”

Camilla seemed to consider it, then she nodded. “Know that I’m not happy letting you leave my sight so soon, dear. If you had asked anything else, I would have turned you down.”

Corrin smiled lightly. “Thank you, Camilla. I just think it’s important that she’s informed. Not by a servant, either.”

“As do I. I’ll meet you at your room. Be prepared for some tears, darling.”

Corrin nodded and watched as Camilla set off. Once her sister was out of sight, she turned to face Felicia.

“So. What’s wrong?”

Felicia bit her bottom lip. “It’s better if I show you.”

-

The scene in front of her was nothing she could have ever imagined. On one side of the hallway stood those who had followed her into Nohr, and on the other, pinning them down with a harsh glare, was Xander.

Azura stood across from the eldest prince, one arm in front of Kamui, as though she were defending him from harm. The way she stared at Xander was not malicious, but calm and firm. In that moment, she looked very much like a Queen.

“What’s going on?” Corrin asked, stepping between them without hesitation. Her gaze immediately landed on Xander, as out of all of them, he was the only one who looked truly angry. When she met his eye, a flicker of hurt crossed his face, but it was as gone as quickly as it had festered.

“I’m glad you’re here, Corrin,” Xander said, his features relaxing into something more neutral. “I’d like to speak with you. Alone.”

Corrin didn’t like the sound of that. She gave a shallow nod, then turned to Azura.

“Are you alright?” she asked.

“Yes,” Azura replied calmly. “Simply startled.”

Nodding again, Corrin looked to Xander. “Lead the way, brother.”

She hadn’t been expecting to encounter him again so soon. Typically, his meetings with Father could last all evening, after which Xander would take to his room to assemble more paperwork. From what happened earlier, it wouldn’t surprise her if he had purposefully left sooner than he should have—but that worried her even more.

He led her to a balcony, which overlooked the royal garden. Flowers hardly grew in Nohr, but the ones that did had been brought in and had flourished under Elise’s care. Corrin had only ever heard stories of the enchanting garden, and she wished that she had more time to admire it. However, both she and Xander were ready to get this over with.  

“What happened, Xander?” she asked, dropping formalities. They were out of sight here, and no reason to be so tense. In most cases, he was her prince before he was her brother, but out here, he was simply her brother, and had nothing to gain from acting otherwise.

Xander looked her over quietly, keeping his thoughts hidden from her. When he finally spoke, his tone was cold.

“You were quick to jump to their defense, Little Princess. Has your time in Hoshido changed your perspective so?”

“What?” she asked, furrowing her brow. She was lost for a moment, but it didn’t take her long to figure it out. When she’d approached, she’d immediately looked to Xander, putting blame on his actions instead of theirs.

“Xander, no. They’re nervous. They’re in enemy territory. I don’t even know what happened back there. I thought you were in a meeting with Father—what’s going on?”

His lips thinned when she said, ‘enemy territory’. Perhaps it wasn’t the best choice of words, but there was no better way to put it. She had felt the same way in Hoshido when she’d first arrived.

“I came to find you. Corrin, are you out of your mind?”

Her eyes widened, and she stood there for a moment, stunned. “What do you mean?”

He turned to fully face her, and she suddenly felt dwarfed by his height. His voice was low, and despite the gravity of it all, she didn’t think he was angry. No, her eldest brother seemed…nervous, somehow. It hit her like she’d been slapped. Her actions had made the Crown Prince of Nohr nervous.

“You not only bring one, but two members of Hoshidan royalty into Castle Krakenburg? Don’t think the glamour escaped Father’s eye. You put all of them in danger, most of all yourself. What were you thinking? If I hadn’t been there earlier, you…” he trailed off, looking off to the side.

Corrin remembered the feeling of Garon’s fingers on her jaw and was unable to stop herself from shuddering.

“I can’t even begin to understand what you expected to gain from this,” he finished. “Tell me, little Princess. What have you gotten yourself into?”

She takes a deep breath into her lungs, thankful for the cool Nohrian air.

“It’s as I told you, Xander. Azura is from Nohr—that much even Camilla can attest to. She came with me to see her homeland. As for…Kana,” she said slowly, carefully, as a silent admission that he was right—she had brought a second member of Hoshidan royalty with her.

“He is…her lover. He did not want her to go alone. I agreed to let them come because I could not make the journey without them. You yourself always told me stories about how the roads in Nohr are easily ambushed. When I left, I was seriously injured—I couldn’t fight. Kaze and Kana could. Along with Felicia, I thought it would be enough to scare anyone off.”

“Yet you stand here, as though you’ve never seen an injury,” Xander replied darkly.

Corrin shook her head. “It’s as I said in the throne room. Hoshido was attacked when I tried to leave. Despite my injury, I took a blow for Azura. It should have killed me. Instead, my body...transformed. So…not only am I not Nohrian, I’m not human, either. Imagine my surprise.”

She removed the dragonstone from her bag and held it out to him. She wasn’t looking at him anymore. She was afraid to see his expression, the potential look of scorn on his face. She kept talking, hoping she could get through to him.

“When I regained consciousness, my injury had mostly healed. I still bear a scar from where Ganglari pierced me, but it no longer hurts. They followed me here anyway, and I am grateful for their presence. Bringing them here was not an act of defiance. I was just trying to get home safely. I knew the dangers of doing this, yet I still did it. And I’ll defend them at every corner because I was the one who brought them here, and I will not let harm befall them because of it.”

Xander took in a deep breath, and she finally glanced up at him. He shook his head and put his hand on her shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Corrin. I don’t mean to make this difficult for you. I’ve been thanking the Gods every minute since your return, but I must be wary.”

“I understand,” she replied. “Trust me. I’m not hurt.”

She had expected all of this. Father’s distrust, Xander confronting her, Leo’s watchful eye—she had known all of this would come. There was one thing, however...

She reached up and put her hand on her shoulder, over Xander’s hand. She looked up at him with tired, watchful eyes and said, “You knew, didn’t you?”

His brows knit together in confusion. “What do you mean?”

“You knew we weren’t siblings,” she clarified. “You knew that Ga--...Father—that he’d taken me from Hoshido. You were the eldest. You must have known.”

Xander’s face, which was ever painted in a permanent frown, grew soft with pity. A muscle in his jaw twitched, then he nodded.

“Yes. I knew. But it never once stopped me from treating you as my real sister.”

“I know that,” she said. She squeezed his hand. “I can’t even begin to tell you how much that means to me.”

She wondered how difficult it must have been on him. She remembered her first few months in Nohr, and the memories that haunted her. She conjured the one of her hiding under a table, screaming and crying as Xander tried to coax her out with an immeasurable amount of patience.

She had feared him. Not because he had done anything wrong—but because he hadn’t been Ryoma. How awful it must have been to have a child burst into tears when they laid eyes on you for that reason. How he hadn’t grown to resent her was something she didn’t quite understand, and she didn’t think she ever would.

“Thank you for standing up for me back there, Xander,” she said. “I never stopped thinking of you all when I was in Hoshido. I know it’s hard to understand, but I trust them. I truly hope that you can, too.”

After a long silence, Xander let out a sigh. “As do I, Little Princess.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small details - Corrin was maybe 3-4 when she was taken by Garon. Honestly, the timeline in game was pretty sketchy with that to begin with, because I distinctly remember everyone saying "Sakura's stutter was because she became so scared after Corrin's capture, it was going to be HER taken by Garon, not Corrin" but also that Corrin was an infant when they were taken?? And Sakura's the youngest sibling? So...??? Unless I'm mistaken about something, which is entirely possible. ANYWAY. All of this to say I've made a cheat sheet for everyone's ages.
> 
> Xander - 30 Ryoma - 28  
> Camilla - 28 Hinoka - 25  
> Corrin - 22 Kamui - 22  
> Leo - 21 Takumi - 21  
> Elise - 16 Sakura - 20
> 
> Elise is literally underage so I'm not going to ship her with anybody. Also, let Xander be the DILF he was meant to be. And yes, more parallels between Leo and Takumi, because they really needed them. (Sarcasm). 
> 
> Also, sorry for sporadic updates, work has been hell. Either way, I'm glad y'all have made it this far and I hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading!


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